Where are the bank cards, MEC?
May 25th, 2021
Nearly two months into the new financial year and the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development has still not distributed the controversial bank cards to needy beneficiaries. Where are the bank cards MEC, and who are the beneficiaries? Show us the list! The Department decided to issue people in the province with bank cards pre-loaded with R1 500 cash, after failing to spend more than R141 million entrusted to them …
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Eastern Cape Department of Social Development is failing the elderly
April 19th, 2021 The Eastern Cape Department of Social Development is failing to meet the needs of a growing elderly population in the province, leaving many old and frail individuals destitute and without care. Statistics released last month by Stats SA show that the province’s population of individuals 60 years and older has grown significantly over the past five years, from 708 000 (10.6%) in 2015 to 771 000 (11.4%) in 2020. The …
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Failing ANC Government buys support with R1 500 bank card
March 31st, 2021
The failing ANC-led Provincial Government has decided to issue people in the province with bank cards pre-loaded with R1 500 cash, after failing to spend the money entrusted to them by the National Government to provide relief to those in distress. After failing to spend more than 86% of the R164 million in grant funding given to the Department of Social Development to assist families in dire need, the Department …
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Department of Social Development unable to spend its budget on those in despair
February 16th, 2021 Ten months into the current financial year and the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) has spent less than 14% of the funds meant to assist those people in distress in the province. While tens of thousands of people have had their livelihoods destroyed in this province by Covid-19 and the subsequently enforced lockdown, while children have been starving, this incompetent Department has been sitting on millions of rand …
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World Homeless Day reminder for EC government to tackle homelessness
October 9th, 2020 World Homeless Day [10 October 2020] is a fresh opportunity for the Eastern Cape Government to revisit the plight of the homeless and tackle some of the complex issues affecting these marginalised individuals. During the national lockdown, the Department of Social Development in the Eastern Cape opened nine temporary homeless shelters in five districts in the Eastern Cape. This presented the perfect opportunity to assist individuals with needs such as …
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EC NPOs go unpaid while DSD staff strike for six months
September 14th, 2020 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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Social Development’s non-payment of subsidies continues to cripple NPOs
August 16th, 2020 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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Millions apparently skimmed off EC SASSA food parcels
April 22nd, 2020
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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Eastern Cape children must learn in the streets, even though funding is available for ECD centres
March 11th, 2020 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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