The forensic reports revealing widespread mismanagement, fraud, and corruption in the Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD) are shocking, yet unsurprising. The ingrained culture of corruption and impunity has infected every level of government, leaving the most vulnerable members of our society to suffer.
The almost R2 billion that GDSD allocates to over 700 Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) plays a critical role in addressing the needs of vulnerable groups; including children, the elderly, the homeless and people with disabilities; ensuring access to services like shelter, food, healthcare and social support.
However, many NPOs faced a crisis as payments from the department were delayed for several months, forcing many to scale back and others to close down due to financial constraints. For GDSD to simply dismiss this as ‘administrative challenges’ when both its own internal and independent investigations and audits reveal that the department had created a ‘fertile environment for maladministration and fraud’.
Furthermore, the investigations revealed:
– Poor governance and weak control mechanisms.
– Widespread mismanagement of hundreds of millions of rands
– Prima facie evidence of fraud and corruption by senior GDSD officials.
– Numerous recommendations for disciplinary and criminal investigations, most of which appear to have been ignored.
– A network of senior officials with ties to top politicians, allegedly siphoning off funds meant for NPOs with impunity.
– Questionable NPOs and their leaders colluding with officials to benefit from misappropriated funds.
– Schemes to bypass procurement processes and appoint hand-picked suppliers.
As ActionSA Gauteng, we demand immediate, decisive action from the Gauteng Provincial Government. Those responsible for this brazen corruption must be held accountable, and the department must be thoroughly cleaned up.
The vulnerable people of Gauteng deserve better. They deserve a government that prioritizes their needs, not the selfish interests of corrupt officials. ActionSA will continue to fight for transparency, accountability, and good governance in our province.
We call on the Gauteng Premier to take the following steps:
– Develop proper internal control mechanisms.
– Immediately suspend all implicated officials and institute disciplinary proceedings.
– Immediately implement recommendations for disciplinary and criminal investigations.
– Implement urgent reforms to prevent similar corruption from occurring in the future.
Overhaul the procurement processes to ensure transparency and accountability from both the officials and beneficiaries.
Anything less would be a betrayal of the trust placed in government by the people of Gauteng.
ActionSA Shocked at Corruption, Fraud and Mismanagement of NPOs Allocations, Calls for System Overhaul
The forensic reports revealing widespread mismanagement, fraud, and corruption in the Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD) are shocking, yet unsurprising. The ingrained culture of corruption and impunity has infected every level of government, leaving the most vulnerable members of our society to suffer.
The almost R2 billion that GDSD allocates to over 700 Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) plays a critical role in addressing the needs of vulnerable groups; including children, the elderly, the homeless and people with disabilities; ensuring access to services like shelter, food, healthcare and social support.
However, many NPOs faced a crisis as payments from the department were delayed for several months, forcing many to scale back and others to close down due to financial constraints. For GDSD to simply dismiss this as ‘administrative challenges’ when both its own internal and independent investigations and audits reveal that the department had created a ‘fertile environment for maladministration and fraud’.
Furthermore, the investigations revealed:
– Poor governance and weak control mechanisms.
– Widespread mismanagement of hundreds of millions of rands
– Prima facie evidence of fraud and corruption by senior GDSD officials.
– Numerous recommendations for disciplinary and criminal investigations, most of which appear to have been ignored.
– A network of senior officials with ties to top politicians, allegedly siphoning off funds meant for NPOs with impunity.
– Questionable NPOs and their leaders colluding with officials to benefit from misappropriated funds.
– Schemes to bypass procurement processes and appoint hand-picked suppliers.
As ActionSA Gauteng, we demand immediate, decisive action from the Gauteng Provincial Government. Those responsible for this brazen corruption must be held accountable, and the department must be thoroughly cleaned up.
The vulnerable people of Gauteng deserve better. They deserve a government that prioritizes their needs, not the selfish interests of corrupt officials. ActionSA will continue to fight for transparency, accountability, and good governance in our province.
We call on the Gauteng Premier to take the following steps:
– Develop proper internal control mechanisms.
– Immediately suspend all implicated officials and institute disciplinary proceedings.
– Immediately implement recommendations for disciplinary and criminal investigations.
– Implement urgent reforms to prevent similar corruption from occurring in the future.
Overhaul the procurement processes to ensure transparency and accountability from both the officials and beneficiaries.
Anything less would be a betrayal of the trust placed in government by the people of Gauteng.