The Gauteng Department of Social Development has allocated R11 million in grants to a newly established drug rehabilitation center run by Clinix Health Group, sparking controversy as longstanding non-profit rehab facilities face potential closure due to halted funding and ongoing investigations with unspecified charges.
While the application process for other non-profit rehab centers has been notoriously sluggish and fraught with bureaucratic challenges, the Clinix Foundation received swift approval for its funding request within just three weeks. Clinix Foundation, which registered as a nonprofit on October 10, 2023, and quickly secured the necessary compliance certificates, managed to finalize service-level agreements for significant funding in a remarkably short period, unlike other nonprofits.
The quick approval and substantial funding for Clinix Foundation come amid a forensic audit and a revamped, centralized funding process that has introduced significant delays and confusion for other organizations. Some longstanding rehab centers and shelters for gender-based violence survivors have been informed they are under investigation but have not been given details, leading to operational and financial uncertainty.
The department claims that the accelerated approval for Clinix Foundation is due to urgent demand for inpatient facilities, yet other non-profits report extensive delays and errors in the new funding process. As a result, many vital non-profit services are being forced to shut down, raising concern and questions over the fairness and transparency of the department’s funding decisions.
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groundup.org.za