Unhappiness prevails after the Gauteng Department of Social Development sent out a policy guideline this week that the department will henceforth receive and distribute all donations in this province during the Covid 19 pandemic.
Non-governmental organizations, companies and individuals will therefore not be able to distribute donations to the needy in Gauteng, but should instead direct it to the department.
According to the department, all donations should henceforth be delivered to a warehouse in Booysens, Johannesburg, where the department will, in turn, facilitate and distribute the donations to those in need. Those who wish to donate to a specific person or family must do so under strict conditions.
This guideline now faces opposition from parties such as the FF Plus and the DA. The charity Solidarity Helping Hand also believes that this guideline does not offer a viable option.
Wouter Wessels, member of the FF Plus, confirmed that the party will also continue the matter. “It is inexplicable that other standards must suddenly apply. Now is the time for all organizations to help where they can. Rather, the government is supposed to welcome aid from organizations, ”he says.
Wessels says that the municipality of eMalahleni (Witbank) also recently issued a policy guideline to facilitate all donations on behalf of organizations.
However, he does not believe it is wise to leave grants to municipal grants as donations are politically abused. “It is scary and cannot be allowed.”
According to Wessels, there are currently many question marks surrounding the policy guideline. He thinks the government should communicate better and explain why all donations should be regulated by the department in the future.
The DA said in a statement that the department was not able to meet the needs of the needy in Gauteng alone and to overcome the associated challenges.
