South Africa: Rehab Workers Unpaid As Gauteng Owes R1.17-Million

Months of non-payment are pressing social employees to the verge

• The Gauteng social advancement department has actually confessed that hold-ups in its payments to non-profit organisations have actually left the recipients of social work eventually paying.
• 6 months into the fiscal year, compound usage organisation SANCA Thusong is owed R1.17-million, leaving 50 team member without wages and interrupting rehab and social services in east Pretoria.
• Another Gauteng NGO states it has actually continued supplying complimentary services to victims of kid abuse without financing, however can no longer sustain numerous counselling and court-related interventions.

6 months into the 2026/27 fiscal year, some non-profit organisations stay overdue by the Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD).
SANCA Thusong, a rehabilitation centre in east Pretoria, is owed R1.17-million. More than 50 team member remain in monetary, psychological and mental distress after working for months without incomes.

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We talked to social employees who stated they have actually tired their life cost savings, got expulsion cautions from property owners, sustained heavy bank charges on bounced debit orders, and turned to high-interest shylock to feed their households.
Lots of have actually continued to make an effort with diminished resources, however frontline services for neighborhoods in Eersterust, Nellmapius, Refilwe, Zithobeni and Rethabiseng have actually been interrupted. Social employees have actually seen an uptick in regressions.
The organisation, which reached more than 160,000 individuals in 2025/26, is in financial obligations, with telephone lines cut off, wi-fi handicapped, and dangers of foreclosure from lenders.

After GroundUp sent out concerns in early September, the department stated it had actually paid SANCA Thusong for April, August and September. The organisation got just about R585,000, which is 2 months’ worth. It was later informed the cash covered just August and September. It has actually still not been spent for April to July.
In an e-mail to SANCA Thusong on 8 September, the department’s deputy director of NPO funding stated, “As soon as we receive further instructions from the programme pertaining to payment for April 2026 and possibly May, June, and July 2026 we will process the payment with the utmost urgency.”

The preliminary hold-up in GDSD financing was because of an unusual R1.3-million worth of cuts to the organisation’s out-patient and aftercare along with avoidance and awareness programs. The organisation effectively challenged these.

Remedied service level arrangements (SLAs) had actually been signed on 31 July.
GDSD informed GroundUp on 7 September that “the process of identifying and correcting the budget discrepancy took longer than it should have”
GDSD formerly stated it had actually kept aids due to the fact that SANCA Thusong sent no validated service data for May, June or July. The organisation states its personnel might not recover supporting records or pay for copying expenses after its resources were tired from the non-payments.
The organisation stated stats for May and June were sent in August after it handled to get a little loan to drive to their workplaces and purchase workplace products.
GroundUp was informed the GDSD was looking for legal and executive assistance on whether it might spend for services when stats were sent late. It anticipated to fix the matter “by the week of 11 September”This never ever occurred.
GDSD interactions officer Busi Kheswa stated on 29 September that internal department procedures “are currently underway” and the result “will be communicated to the NPO in due course”
SANCA Thusong head of workplace Elosine Aucamp stated they have actually had no more word.
NGOs maimed by financing hold-ups

GroundUp has actually reported on problems within the GDSD affecting both recipients and organisations through years of mismanagement and corruption
As soon as once again, SANCA Thusong is not the only organisation dealing with extended hold-ups in getting 2026/27 payments
In May 2026organisation agents objected versus what they referred to as years of “funding injustice” by the GDSD. They opposed relentless payment hold-ups, spending plan cuts to qualified well-being organisations and supposed absence of assistance.
Lisa Vetten of the Gauteng Care Crisis Committee, a union of non-profits, stated that payment hold-ups have actually paralyzed numerous other organisations supplying vital services to susceptible neighborhoods throughout the province.
GroundUp talked to an organisation that has actually supplied totally free kid defense and restorative services in the east of Gauteng for the previous 25 years. The organisation’s management did not desire its name released, as they fear it will impact present and future financing applications.
The organisation got a main financing award letter from GDSD in March 2026, however the department had actually not signed the SLA and has actually not interacted with it.
The NGO continued supplying totally free counselling to victims of kid rape and sexual attack, and physical and psychological abuse. The organisation can no longer sustain services without financing. This might impact numerous active healing interventions, expert evaluation reports for the authorities and courts, specialised court preparation and assistance for kids.
Three-year arrangements
In July 2026MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko guaranteed three-year agreements covering the 2027/28 to 2029/30 fiscal years to offer organisations higher financing stability and minimize administrative disturbances.
The three-year SLA system was formerly in location, however in October 2023, organisations were informed their three-year arrangements would end which applications would run likewise to tender applications. The care crisis committee argues that dropping it added to the instability in the department.
The department stated that the three-year design was cancelled due to the fact that it did not adhere to financing guidelines. The department later on stated centralising its financing procedure was required since of corruption and scams findings, however the auditor-general stated it had actually made no findings on the procedure. Every other province in the nation funds non-profit organisations on a three-year basis.