All posts relating to Edmund van Vuuren, DA MPL in the Eastern Cape Legislature
More than 60% of Non-Profit Organisations in the Eastern Cape did not receive a single cent of their 2020/2021 subsidy payments from the Department of Social Development (DSD). In a very delayed response to a parliamentary question from the DA, Social Development MEC, Siphokazi Mani-Lusithi has now confirmed that of the 2661 department-funded NPOs in the province, by July, 1611 NPOs had still not received any subsidy payments for the …
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Madam Speaker, Hon Premier, members of the executive, members of the Provincial Legislature, officials from different Governmental Departments, dignitaries, invited guests and the warm people of the Chris Hani district. I humbly greet you. When the president announced that the country would be under a national lockdown from 27 March 2020, we all knew that things would be a bit different. We also knew that there would be a sharp …
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Hundreds of Non-Profit Organisations (NPO) are battling to keep their doors open as private funding dries up under the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent enforced lockdown. Fundraising initiatives, many of which require face to face interactions, have all but ground to a halt, while corporate funding has also been severely affected, with funds being redirected to Covid-19 relief measures. In the face of these challenges, NPOs, which …
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The apparent inflated prices for food parcels distributed by SASSA in the Eastern Cape is extremely worrying, with an estimated R16-million or more skimmed off the top of the R48 million made available. This comes on top of allegations of political bias in the distribution of food parcels made available. A preliminary investigation, based on the standardised list of content per SASSA food parcel, has revealed that the Department of …
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The Eastern Cape Department of Social Development has admitted that the current budget available for food parcels for distribution to families in need due to the current Coronavirus outbreak in the province, is “very insufficient”. In response to a letter I wrote to the MEC for Social Development, Siphokazi Mani-Lusithi, last week, the Department has confirmed that the Provincial SASSA funding allocation for the 2020/2021 financial year, totalling R45,5 million, …
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Children are running around in the streets while the Department of Social Development is actively blocking people from starting up ECD centres, even though funding is available. ECD centres are critical for our learners entering the foundation phase. Without this their future opportunities are stunted. In response to a parliamentary question, , Social Development MEC Siphokazi Mani-Lusithi, said only 53 743 children of the 925 900 children in the province …
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Honourable Speaker, Honourable Premier, members of the executive members of this august house, dignitaries and visitors, I solemnly greet you. Honourable speaker, the honourable Premier said a lot of things people wanted to hear,but has also lost focus on certain critical deliverables. Honourable Speaker, the honourable Premier and his cabinet must stop making promises that they cannot uphold, and the honourable Premier must stop protecting some of his MEC’s in …
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While the national debate around expropriation without compensation continues, with the deadline for submissions extended to the end of February, government owned land in Nelson Mandela Bay stands vacant. During a recent Public Works portfolio oversight, 132 out of the 878 land parcels belonging to the Provincial Government in Nelson Mandela Bay were found to be vacant, with no concrete concept plans for usage. In Algoa Park 15,2 hectares of …
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The Department of Social Development in the Eastern Cape has paid out over R7 million to 51 employees who were placed on paid leave over the past three years, pending the outcomes of investigations against them. These employees sat at home, drawing salaries, while hundreds of thousands of people, living in poverty, were deprived of the services these individuals were supposed to be providing. In response to a parliamentary question, …
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Madam Speaker, Hon Premier, members of the executive, members of the Provincial Legislature, officials from different Governmental Departments, dignitaries, invited guests and the warm people of the Chris Hani district. I humbly greet you. The department of Social Development plays such a pivotal role in our society, especially within the boundaries of the Eastern Cape. Because of the importance if the department’s service and beneficiaries, monitoring and evaluation and regular, …
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