Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
7 July 1997
It is true that 41 cheques made out to organisations which operate nutrition projects on the East Rand were lost during June. Their disappearance from our East Rand regional office was discovered almost immediately. Payment of the cheques was stopped and no money was actually lost.
An investigation into this matter and the circumstances under which the cheques disappeared is underway. Disciplinary measures will be taken should the investigation reveal that this is warranted.
Unfortunately, the loss of the cheques and the procedures which must be followed after such a loss, did result in a delay in payments to the recipient organisations. Realising this at the time, our East Rand office called the organisations to a meeting to notify them of the problem. Despite this, it is possible that some organisations really felt the pinch of the delay. We sincerely regret this and apologise to the organisations and the communities served.
Replacement cheques for all 41 organisations are now ready and they will be handed over, in the presence of local level committees, during the next few days.
Where we take issue with The Star's report on the Community-based Nutrition Programme is in relation to the allegation that:
What has happened over the past year, is that the system has been fundamentally restructured. Key to this has been the removal of organisations which receive government funding under this project from the committees which adjudicate the applications.
It was our view that the system could not operate effectively where the referees and the players were one and the same. Objectivity and fairness could be seriously compromised and new applicants placed at a decided disadvantage. This arrangement left the programme without the kinds of checks and balances which are the hallmarks of accountability and transparency.
A new system which increased local-level participation, has since been put in place.
This system has ensured that, in excluding the recipient organisations from the various committees, the Department has actively sought out new partners from the community. On the East Rand, for instance, every health district has its own representatives on the regional recommendation committee which makes recommendations on how to divide the nutrition budget. Two elected councillors and two representatives from the non-governmental health forum sit on these regional recommendation committees.
The old regional committees have not been disbanded according to provincial policy, but have a changed role, namely, to that of making recommendations regarding community needs as well as to avoid a situation whereby a beneficiary receives two food parcels from different NGOs.
For further information, please contact Popo Maja on: (011) 355-3543 or 082-373-1169