Investigative and forensic reports into the funds disbursed by the Gauteng Department of Social Development have flagged serious concerns over fraud, corruption and evidence that money meant to alleviate poverty never reached those in need.

Listen to this article 21 min Listen to this article 21 min The Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD) is one of South Africa's largest funders of non-profit organisations (NPOs), playing a vital role in supporting vulnerable people across the province. Annually, the Gauteng provincial government allocates nearly R2-billion to more than 700 NPOs, making Gauteng the country's leading province for NPO funding.

This support is critical for 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, the GDSD has recently come under scrutiny. In early 2024, Gauteng's non-profit sector faced a crisis as hundreds of organisations experienced delays of several months in receiving subsidies from the department. Some organisations were forced to close, others had to scale back their services and many found themselves in precarious financial positions.

The GDSD attributed the crisis to "administrative challenges" which had arisen as the department put measures in place to respond to the findings of internal investigations and audits. The acting head of the department, Bongani Ngomane, acknowledged that the funding process had lacked internal controls, creating a "fertile environment for...