FREE STATE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PULLS THE PLUG ON PADS

While the Free State Department of Social Development is embarking on feedback sessions, questions are mounting as to what the real reasons are for the development. To pull the plug on pads manufacturing project that was helping the poor and disadvantaged in Qwaqwa.

The project was initially started by Vannesa Masilo of Krystal Klear Visions Foundation in 2016 and ceased to operate last year when the country moved to level 5 of lockdown due to covid restrictions, and to date, the factory remains shut according to Social Development but here is what is interesting;

According to their website ( www.kkvisions.co.za ), KKV Foundation provides “a complete suite of environmental, quality, occupational health, safety, and IT services to the public and private sector.”

From 2016 to 2020 Social Development has splurged over R14 million for just 60 000 packs of sanitary towels for, the poor and disadvantaged.

Below is the funding break down over the years;
2016/17 – R6 000 000,00
2017/18 – R6 057 474,00
2018/19 – R1 082 000,00
2019/20 – R1 141 745,00

The factory employed only 29 people from Qwaqwa and with the factory closed, the workers remain unemployed while the R 2 000 000,00 that was budgeted for 2020/21 was reprioritized by department.

The budget decreased yearly as major assets including machines and material were purchased by Social Development.

According to acting Head of Department; Adv Tumelo Phahlo the project was partly funded and the organization made money by selling pads.

Probed for reasons why the factory was closed Krystal Klear Visions Foundation CEO Vanessa Masilo said they were struggling, as funding was withheld and moreover pads where not procured as promised.

It’s not clear as to who the recipients of 60 000 packs were and who purchased the pads for them but according to Krystal Klear Visions Foundation signature board outside the closed factory Department of Education and Health were supporters of this project.

We have since established both these departments could not support and procure because they had to follow procument processes.

According to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity the project was meant for the poor and disadvantaged, and was supported by national government but the challenge was the pads procurement had to be out on tender and it could have gone either way.

Another source said Social Development is playing politics.

“This is politics at play, why would they behave like these girls stopped menstruating when COVID-19 started? They use COVID-19 as an excuse. They closing taps on everyone who they think was close to Magashule.”

When asked if the factory and the project will be resuscitated with Krystal Klear Visions Foundation, Social Development Acting HOD, Adv Phahlo said.

“This will be determined upon the completion of the assessment and interventions of the Transactional Advisor.”

This is developing story.