DA warns of another Esidimeni crisis

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has warned that failure by the Gauteng Departments of Health and Social Development to pay NGOs their subsidies could result in another Esidimeni crisis.

Over 2 000 NGOs have not been paid since last April.

At least one organisation has closed its doors as a result. The Social Development Department says it has started paying affected groups since last week.

It says the delays were due to some NGOs failure to submit necessary documents and whose details were found to be incorrect.

DA members held a picket on Monday outside the department’s head office in the Johannesburg CBD.

They are demanding that these organisations be prioritised.

The DA’s Refilwe Ntsekhe says there are still 600 organisations that have not been paid.

“By Friday they should have paid our NGOs. One day in starvation is one day too long and we cannot sit here and say this is a game. These are people’s lives, these are voiceless people who nobody speaks for, we have to speak on their behalf . The disabled, the orphans, the children who cannot speak for themselves – all of us are speaking for them today.”