Minister Dlamini engages NPO Sector as part of budget vote activities
The Minister of Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, will table the department’s Budget Vote (Vote 17) in Parliament on 12 May 2015 at 14h00. She has decided to use this year’s budget vote as a platform to engage with the Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) sector with the view to strengthening the partnership between the department and the sector.
NPOs are a critical partner to the department in delivering social services to communities. The engagement with the sector will therefore seek to evaluate progress made in advancing the resolutions of the NPO Summit held in 2012 as well as create an opportunity to develop long-term and trusting relationships between the department and the NPO sector.
The 2012 Summit resolved on improving public confidence in the Non-Profit sector through enhancing accountability and transparency. There was also a collective agreement between Social Development and NPO sector also agreed that government should demonstrate its commitment to the vision of an inclusive society through the development of appropriate policies, accompanied by requisite resources for effective implementation.
Minister also wishes to address transformation within the NPO sector, the use of funds transferred by government to NPOs and the findings of Project Mikondzo – a service delivery initiative which is aimed at ensuring that government services are rendered in an efficient manner – about the performance of NPOs in communities.
Through its interaction with communities, Project Mikondzo has found a number of service delivery challenges pertaining to the NPO sector. These include inaccessibility of services and the tailoring of services to meet the demands that exist in communities.
Over the past two years, the Department of Social Development has embarked on an extensive road-show, in all provinces, aimed at providing support to NPOs in order for them to continue operating. The roadshow included providing assistance to NPOs in submitting their annual reports in order to comply with the NPO Act, provisional registration of NPOs, and other legislative support that is essential to keeping NPOs doors open for business.
Representatives of the sector will meet on 10 May to discuss funding and resource mobilisation (Corporate Social Investment and Government Funding), the role of NPOs towards addressing unemployment and poverty: Mikondzo Project; and the role of NPOs towards promoting social cohesion. The NPOs will then have an opportunity to make presentations on these issues to Minister Dlamini on 13 May.
Members of the media are invited to these engagements, which will take place as follows:
Date: 12 to 13 May 2015
Time: 09h00 daily
Venue: Langa Indoor Sports Centre, Cape Town – Western Cape Province
Members of the media are also invited to a post-Budget Vote media briefing by the Minister of Social Development during which members of the media will have an opportunity to interact with the Minister her vision for Social Development in line with the National Development Plan - Vision 2030. The media briefing will take place as follows:
Budget Vote media briefing:
Date: 13 May 2015
Time: 09h30
Venue: Imbizo Media Centre, 120 Plein Street, Cape Town
NB: There will be a video link to GCIS Head Office, Tshedimosetso House, 1035 Francis Baard, Hatfield, Pretoria.
Note: Members of the media who are based in Cape Town are also advised to bring along their ID documents or drivers licence for permission of entry in parliament.
To RSVP, please contact:
Jaconia Kobue
Cell: 073 026 1111
E-mail: jaconiak@dsd.gov.za
Media inquiries may be directed to:
Lumka Oliphant
Cell: 083 484 8067
E-mail: lumkao@dsd.gov.za
