The National Development Agency (NDA) is providing support to gender-based violence (GBV) care centres throughout the country during the month of October. The agency has decided to put all its efforts into addressing the second pandemic in South Africa which continues to affect women and children.
The NDA has scheduled visits for Social Development Minister, Lindiwe Zulu to various GBV centres in Gauteng, Limpopo, Western Cape and Free State. The centres are run by civil society organisations (CSOs) that are being supported by the R100-million funding provided through the Criminal Assets Recovery Account (CARA) Funds Account, which supports organisations that provide services to victims of crime, GBV and femicide (GBVF).
“The visits will be oversight visits but more so to evaluate the impact of the programme and if services are responding to the need within communities,” said Makgodu Tsehloane, Marketing and Communications Manager at the NDA. To date, a total of 170 contracts have been signed and the first payment has been transferred to 131 organisations to the value of R17.4 million. An additional R17.4 million has been committed as the second phase of payment for the contracted organisations.
The funding is made available through the NDA over a period of 24 months. R95 million is set aside for direct financial support to organisations while R5 million will be used for mentoring and coaching of emerging CSOs in the social development sector. The first R45 million has already been transferred for providing services to victims and survivors of GBVF, focusing on family strengthening, social crime prevention, social behaviour change and welfare services.
As part of Social Development Month, commemorated every October, Zulu will also engage with some of the 200 CSOs that have partnered with the NDA through the COVID-19 Volunteer Programme, where volunteers have been deployed to distribute food parcels and other essentials to elderly and disabled members of communities.
“During this difficult time, the government cannot do it alone. The NDA is strengthening the capacity of CSOs that are rendering services to eradicate the scourge of GBV. We have ensured that most of the organisations funded are involved in lobbying and advocacy which will ensure maximum awareness of the rights of women, children and LGBTQI+ persons in our communities,” said Thamo Mzobe, CEO of the NDA.
