A meeting was held on Thursday, May 22 in the James ‘JJ’ Skosana committee room in the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature to deliberate on the funding of centres for people with disabilities.

It was held by the Select Committee on Women, Youth, Children, and People with Disabilities, and the Department of Social Development (DSD). Discussions were preceded by oversight visits conducted at various centres and focused on how funding is allocated, payments for caregivers, and the criteria for centres to qualify for funding from the DSD.

The department’s chief director for Social Welfare Services, Gustav Wilson, represented the MEC for social development, Brenda Moeketsi, and presented an overview of services and projects funded by the department.

The meeting was led by the committee’s chairperson, Jackson Malatji, who covered a range of topics. He outlined the allocations and budgets for the 2024/25 financial year, placing particular focus on services provided to women, youth, children and people with disabilities. These included programmes for care and support, youth development centres, and efforts to address gender-based violence.

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The committee expressed displeasure over the department’s failure to comply with their previous requests for reports and raised concerns that reports at the centres were completed by DSD officials rather than the staff at the organisations concerned.

The committee also emphasised the need for reports to specify the municipalities where the centres are located to prevent unequal funding distribution.

“I encourage the department to voice any concerns or frustrations that impact their service delivery,” said Malatji.
The director of social welfare, Cecilia Mazibuko, said funding for children in stimulation centres is set at R500 per child per month, with payments contingent on attendance.

“The workshops receive R400 per participant per month, while residential facilities offering services similar to hospitals receive R2 500 per individual per month.”

Mazibuko said funding disparities for elderly persons arise from the number of residents in a centre and the link between grants and departmental funding, emphasising that the centres do not retain the entire grant.

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Reporting on a related court case, Mazibuko stated that an organisation had taken the department to court over salaries in comparison with those of the private institutions.

“The court ruled that the department must provide R7 600 per person per month, which the department appealed, ultimately agreeing to a compromise of R3 600 per person per month, with a 10% increase for the 2024/25 period. The department faces challenges such as budget shortages, which hinder its ability to maintain the agreed-upon increase,” she said.

In a statement, the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature said the meeting concluded with recommendations and urged the department to re-evaluate its budget to ensure that it reflects the needs observed during oversight visits, as some centres were in good condition while others were not. The meeting underscored the need for transparency and equitable funding in the support of disability centres in Mpumalanga.