The City of Ekurhuleni Legislature hosted an NPO and NGO Empowerment Session at the Salvation Army in Kwa-Thema on August 7, aimed at strengthening community organisations and improving partnerships between government and civil society.

The session brought together community organisations, representatives from the Gauteng Provincial Government, City of Ekurhuleni councillors and strategic partners.

Speaking at the session, the Speaker of Council, Clr John Senona, said strengthening the relationship between the Legislature and the communities it serves was one of his priorities.

Senona said his commitment to community organisations was also informed by his own background in grassroots community activism.

“Community organisations are the heartbeat of our communities,” Senona said, highlighting the role played by NPOs and NGOs in supporting vulnerable residents.

He said organisations across the city assist with feeding programmes, child support, women empowerment, youth mentorship, services for older persons and assistance to people with disabilities.

According to Senona, the purpose of the session was not simply to host another workshop but to build stronger relationships between government and organisations working directly with communities.

Senona said many organisations were doing important work but were not always aware of government programmes, services and opportunities available to them. He also stressed that passion alone was not enough to ensure the sustainability of an organisation.

“To stand the test of time requires more than passion. It requires sound governance, compliance with legislative requirements, effective leadership and strong organisational systems,” said Senona.

Senona also called for greater collaboration between government, civil society, the private sector and communities, saying no single institution could address all the challenges facing communities.

He said the ultimate vision was to create stronger organisations that could contribute to stronger communities.

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“When community organisations are empowered with knowledge, connected to the right partners and supported by government, they are better equipped to transform lives and contribute to the development of our city,” he said.

He encouraged participants to view the engagement as the beginning of stronger partnerships that would benefit the people of Ekurhuleni.

One of the attendees, Nthabiseng Motsisane expressed that events like this are all about talks and no action and should have officials to help with documentation in securing funding.

“We are disgruntled as a community. Let us have people who will help in securing proper documentation and assist the NPOs,” shared Motsisane.

She said that officials would offer their contact details but when they reach out, they are not provided any help.