Calls grow for action in Gauteng NPO scandal

The Citizen

25-04-2025

A staggering R1.3-billion in irregular expenditure has been recorded within the Gauteng Department of Social Development (DSD), raising alarm over the mismanagement of public funds intended for the province's most vulnerable residents.
Between April and December 2024 alone, an additional R210-million in irregular spending was generated, while two Pretoria-based children's homes went without subsidy payments.
This move has fuelled criticism of the department's handling of non-profit organisation (NPO) funding.
Despite persistent warnings from the Auditor-General, no investigations or accountability measures were taken, said Alan Fuchs, DA Member of the Gauteng Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA).
'Officials and politicians act as though the law doesn't apply to them,' said Fuchs.
He accused Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Social Development MEC Faith Mazibuko of failing in their oversight responsibilities and allegedly sitting on forensic reports that could reveal corruption.
The fallout has had a real-world impact. Fuchs warned that mismanagement has forced many NPOs to shut their doors, leaving hundreds of children, the elderly, and disabled residents without critical care services.
'Echoes of Life Esidimeni can be heard,' he said, referencing the infamous tragedy in which mentally ill patients died after being moved to unlicensed NGOs.
DA Shadow MEC for Social Development, Refiloe Nt'sekhe, has tabled a motion in the Legislature for an official inquiry into the department's failures. But it has yet to be debated, a delay she claims is a political strategy to shield those implicated.
'There's literally no political will or accountability here,' Nt'sekhe said in an interview with Rekord, expressing frustration over the department's silence and refusal to release key forensic reports.
She pointed to audits conducted by firms BDO and Bowmans, as well as the Special Investigating Unit's work, as further evidence of widespread financial misconduct.
These reports have not been made public, and role players interested in finding the truth have to rely on whistleblower leaks.
'We even said they should be tabled in the portfolio committee and also be tabled in the House. To date, nobody has seen these reports,' she said.
The DSD has reportedly reduced its funded NPOs from 2 061 in 2014 to just 1 328 in 2025.
Nt'sekhe called this a 'significant decrease' and said it raises 'serious concerns about the support available for poor and vulnerable Gauteng residents'
As of the time of publication, questions submitted to the DSD have gone unanswered.
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