In light of the Gauteng Department of Social Development’s shocking underspend of R554 million and its failure to allocate essential funding to Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) that support the province’s most vulnerable residents, the DA calls on MEC Faith Mazibuko to clean up the Department and hold her Head of Department and other relevant official to account.
The Auditor-General’s report highlights severe financial mismanagement within the department, including irregular expenditure and material misstatements in the performance report. This gross negligence comes in a province where NPOs are forced to shut down due to a lack of funds and where the scars of the Life Esidimeni tragedy are still fresh.
The R554 million underspend could have been used to provide vital services for older people, behaviour change programs, family preservation, and substance use treatment, as well as to support NPOs and prevent their closure. Instead, this money has been wasted and returned to the Treasury, leaving many without the support they desperately need.
The DA has long criticised the department for its lack of effective planning and implementation. When we exposed these issues, it resulted in a lot of spin-doctoring, with the former MEC Mbali Hlophe accusing the DA of “peddling lies” and claiming that her department had achieved 81% of its performance targets. However, the AG’s findings confirm that our concerns were well-founded and expose the former MEC’s attempts to deflect blame and misrepresent the department’s performance.
The failure to utilise these funds effectively constitutes a grave injustice against Gauteng’s poorest and most vulnerable.
MEC Mazibuko must take decisive steps to clean out the department and hold the Head of Department accountable for these failures. We expect her to implement the necessary reforms and oversight within the next month to address these issues effectively.
Should MEC Mazibuko fail to act decisively within this timeframe, the Democratic Alliance will be forced to turn to the Legislature to ensure that proper accountability measures are enforced. We are committed to advocating for the vulnerable residents of Gauteng and will not tolerate any further delay in addressing this critical situation.