[THREAD] Heres what irritates me about the testimonies of Makhubo and Sodi. NGOs in this country, particularly Black, youth or community led organisations literally have to himp though hoops of fire to get R50 000 to do civic or charitable work and account for every cent.

The same companies dishing out millions for t-shirts, leaflets, conferences and "loans" to political parties with no accountibility will ask an NGO in an informal settlement that they cant be funded because they can produce account statements or have NPC rather than NPO status.

Companies that part with millions based on emails like "Heita see the below" will without shame tell youth led organisations they can pay for staff costs because they dont trust them and need invoices for transport costs of participants who take taxis to an event for recons

Companies that will tax breaks with millions only to "employ" 200 youth for 5 months at R2500 per month in the name of work opportunities will tell you that youth are lazy and entitled when they expect that the job placement should lead to sustainable employment.

It's disheartening when training, helping start community gardens, small businesses, effected policy change and enabled meaningful youth participation nationally and internationally arent "tangible" outcomes to Corporate SA, part a literally party by politicians is funded

South Africa doesnt have a money problem. We have a leadership problem. An ethics problem. A greed proble. An inequality problem. The elites just continue to live in their own South Africa while the rest of the country burns.

The NGOs should not have to be dependent on the good will of that one business person who you meet by chance, there should be a willing & widespread culture of large companies partnering meaningfully with NGOs and communities to invest in the social sector & community development

It disturbed me when I realized that companies, donors, "development agencies" that fund community based NGOs to do charitable and development work think it is appropriate and in fact have made it their organisational policy to refuse to pay the people those who do the work.

They pay staff hundreds of thousands if not millions to "manage" CSI, which amounts to finding community organizations to do the work, but outright refuse to pay minimum wage to the community organizer that delivers the project they tick on their box as a success.

Think about 50 million spent on one party's regional election campaign. 1 million for one weekend's worth of activities. Do you know how much a community organiser in KwaMashu could do with that? How many businesses a youth organisation could give funding to? Its obscene.