​EcstaticJoseph Machweu, Chairperson of the Springs based Impumelelo Self Help Centre for quadriplegics has expressed joy at signing the Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Gauteng Department of Social Development for the financial 2024/25. Established in 2003, the centre houses seven Quadriplegic persons who are receiving assistance from ten (10) staff members.
The signing of the SLA guarantees financial aid for the optimal operation of the centre and secures the employment of staff members. Speaking from his bed, unwell Machweu said the funding plays a vital role to the centre’s continued support to the quadriplegic community residing in the centre. “We are relieved, we are going to plan for the next 12 months. We are in a good space of mind, and we are grateful for the continued support from the Gauteng Department of Social Development,” he said.

Accepting the SLA on behalf of the Chairperson Machweu, Ntokozo Mahlangu, the centre’s administrator, said the SLA brought relief to the organisation. “Now that we have received the SLA, we feel very relieved that our care for the wellbeing of the quadriplegic beneficiaries will continue and our workers will receive their salaries. It is a beautiful day,” he said.

Over 1732 applications were received collectively tallying an amount of over R11,4 billion in financial requests – an amount far greater than the Department's overall budget of R5,5 billion. This meant that the panellists had a gruelling task to stretch the budget far and wide in response to the needs presented by NPOs while realistically remaining within the confines of the budget available, as its impractical to fund the entire R11,4 billion.

The process to invite eligible NPOs to sign the SLAs is well underway and has been centralized to the GDSD Headquarters to be coordinated by the Accounting Officer. This process was previously decentralized to officials in regional offices, which has been found to be in contravention of Treasury Guidelines in terms of delegation of powers. The contravention resulted in officials signing SLAs of millions in rands that are outside of their financial delegations, thereby affecting internal control systems.

The Department has reviewed all such delegations to be aligned to existing Treasury Guidelines.