By Sakhiwo Toto Gxabela, Community Connections OD consultant
The reality of Community Work in South Africa
Community Based Organisations have long history in South Africa dating back from the days of the apartheid struggle. They were prominent in providing vital services within the townships, villages and squatter areas which the government of the time consciously ignored. It was these People-driven initiatives which maintained the livelihood and the sense of human dignity to those masses which were seemingly destined to forever bare the burden of being 'the inferior racial groups'.
A lot has changed since then, but the immense role of such organisations is still, if not more, as critical in the mobilisation of the grassroots communities to actively participate in the current democratic era. The present government has passed legislation and policies which are enabling and acknowledging of the input required by CBO's in helping ground democracy to even the most isolated of communities. If truth be told though, the legislation and policies have not been sufficiently translated into day-to-day action. In fact the situation is worsening as international donor funding is increasingly redirected to government-led initiatives and the private sector, leaving CBO's to compete with the bigger, more resourced NGO community. While NGO's have as integral a role in the transformation of the country, they can never substitute for the need to get community members organising and maintaining their own structures with the aim of tackling issues of concern in their immediate environment and beyond. True democracy is about the access of all citizens, regardless of race, class or culture to actively participate in issues affecting their social livelihood. It is this platform for community access into the 'democratic wave' which makes CBO's unique and therefore irreplaceable.
CBO's are faced with a scenario where there is so much expected of them by the communities they serve and the local governance structures that seek their participation in community development initiatives but yet they are threatened with extinction as very little support is coming their way. They run with almost no resources at all, the donor environment is still too stringent to allow for successful CBO's funding applications and the local business sector has a responsibility to support such initiatives. All stakeholders, particularly government, have the responsibility to 'put their moneys where their mouths are' by availing the resources essential for the CBO sector to operate effectively.
These are issues facing our target CBO's and members, the millions of people depended on their services may be left stranded, frustrated and hopeless unless something is done to support CBO's activities!
Sakhiwo Toto Gxabela, Community Connections OD consultant, email: toto@connectionsafrica.org.za
|