The North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Health and Social Development led by Hon Gavin Edwards resolved to make a swift call to the MEC of the Department of Social Development

The North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Health and Social Development led by Hon Gavin Edwards resolved to make a swift call to the MEC of the Department of Social Development, MEC Lazarus Mokgosi to intervene on assisting NPOs that are struggling to get funding due to unnecessary delays caused by certain officials within the department of Social development.

This was during the oversight week program that took place on 29 August 2023 and ended on 01 September 2023. The program is aimed at strengthening oversight and public participation and to promote accountability and transparency in government.

Hon Edwards informed the MEC that about all three old age centers that the committee visited, which posed similar challenges of having Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Business Plans that are not signed in time which delays payment on their grants. Grants are paid late resulting in NPOs borrowing a lot of money from the bank just to keep the facility going. Most of the facilities house more state elderly patients than private elderly patients who pay way more than the state to keep the NPOs running.

The committee was informed by the center manager of Silwer Jare Old Age home that it would not be allowed to repay the loan it borrowed from the bank through the subsidies that are often paid late by officials in the department and that it costs them R6m a year to run operations at the center. The center houses 52 elderly patients, 22 are self-funded and 30 are subsided by the State.

The Chairperson of the committee stated that this causes a serious frustration for the old age homes, meant to work hand in hand with the department to solve the social ills of this province
“Officials from the department of Social Development have chosen to be bullies towards NPOs, instead of assisting and willingly aiding places meant to alleviate lives of many social ills and making their work easier, they have added more burden to the current existing dire situation,” alluded Hon Edwards.

The committee was met with a similar exhausting situation at Ipopeng Old Age home where certain officials within the department demanded the Centre Manager, Ms Esther Seleko to pay back R70k of the subsidy into an unknown separate account. Reasons for this were never clear and were only informed that they had to return the money back to Treasury, as it was not used in the financial year it was meant for.
The center was met with threats made to them if they refused to pay all monies requested back.

“We were threatened with the Hawks and Special Investigation Units (SIU) that would be sent to investigate us and arrest us for refusing to pay back the R70k allegedly owed to the department,” said Ms Esther Seleko.

The Chairperson of the committee has resolved to call in a meeting with the MEC of the Department, MEC Lazarus Mokgosi, stakeholders of NGOs and NPOs including officials of the department to resolve matters raised during the oversight visits.

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