Limpopo Department of Health and Welfare spokesperson Mr Phuti Seloba has sent a stern warning to organisations that are using the department’s name to recruit new members. Seloba was reacting after an outcry by the community of Tswinga outside Thohoyandou, who complained of having to pay a registration fee of R10 to join a new organisation, Movement Democratic Party, in order to access government grants and benefits.

Serious allegations were levelled at the MDP after its officials, who are also members of the local civic structure, were allegedly seen distributing departmental forms and insisting that residents register with their organisation.

Spokesperson for the department Phuti Seloba reacted very angrily, saying that those who were involved were mere criminals taking advantage of the poor and vulnerable. He said those involved were con artists who are not even known to the department.

“This is a government for the people and we do not sell grants, jobs or bursaries. The only payment we need from students who get bursaries from us is that they work for the department after completing their studies. We care for our people and we don’t even think of making these poor people pay,” he said. He called upon community members to assist them with information that could lead to the opening of criminal charges against those involved. “We call upon our communities to be vigilant against those people and not just give money to any person in the street,” he said.

Residents of the Tswinga RDP settlement near Thohoyandou in Limpopo are accusing the local political party leader and secretary of the civic organisation of demanding fees to process applications for funding orphans and vulnerable children. They say an active local leader of the newly formed political party, the Movement Democratic Party (MDP) in their area, is charging them R10 to have their applications from the Department of Health and Social Development processed.

The Tswinga settlement is situated in the northern part of Thohoyandou and it comprises more than 300 houses built for poor communities by the local Thulamela municipality. Beneficiaries of the settlement are those who are poor and mostly unemployed.

Ms Vhulahani Makanano, one of the residents whose application to get her children funded by the department was thrown away and found in a dustbin, was furious. She pointed an accusing finger at Pastor Ntudzuluseni Ramukanda as preying on the poor and vulnerable. “I was denied service because I refused to pay the R10. This man is milking the poorest of the poor with promises of a good life which he will never give to them,” she said. Makanano said it was a pity that hungry people are cheated with empty promises of jobs and food.

“I am an active member of the African National Congress (ANC) and I was surprised to learn that if you don’t join the party belonging to the secretary of the local civic organization your application could be destroyed. We are poor residents and we deserve free government funding without paying money to someone,” said Makanano.

However, Pastor Ntsudzuluseni Ramukanda denied the allegations that he was charging fees to residents for filling in applications to fund poor and vulnerable children with uniforms and food parcels. He said he wanted to put the record straight and as the general secretary of the Movement Democratic Party, he was recruiting members for the newly formed organisation. “I am tasked by my organisation to help recruit new members and I am doing it voluntarily. I am charging R10 for membership of the party, and no fees are charged for health and social development’s applications for funding poor and vulnerable children,” said Ramu-kanda.

Ramukanda insisted that he explained everything to those who paid and would not return the money he received as it now belongs to the organisation. He said his organisation boasts more than 100 registered residents in the Tswinga settlement, who have all paid their fees.

“All these people want is to discredit me and tarnish my good name; they are greedy people who do not want to cooperate with the traditional leader of the village. They are just after positions and do not have the interests of the people at heart,” he said. Ramukanda said he was a servant of the people and understood the plight of the rural poor and he could not stoop so low as to solicit funds from them. “I know what suffering is and cannot subject my own people to such cruelty,” he said.

Deputy Chairperson of the Tswinga Civic Organization Mr Hendrick Nemalamangwa said the organisation will investigate any possibility of misconduct by one of its members. “We are going to get to the bottom of this matter and if any of our members are found to have taken part in corrupt practices, heads will roll. Our people will decide their future,” he promised. Nemalamangwa said a meeting with the affected residents was in the planning stage and he expressed the hope that an amicable solution would be reached.