By 
JOHANNESBURG — As South Africa marked Nelson Mandela Day with nationwide acts of charity, the Gauteng Provincial Government signalled a shift toward long-term policy interventions aimed at integrating grassroots care centres into the formal social safety net.
Visiting the Tshepang Care Centre in Tembisa on Saturday, Gauteng MEC for Social Development Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko announced that the province has initiated steps to register the facility, paving the way for it to access official state funding. The centre, which provides shelter and care to orphaned, abused, and vulnerable children in the community, currently operates without formal registration.
“As a Department, we are committed to working with the centre to ensure it is registered and compliant so that it can benefit from departmental funding. Our social workers have already begun the registration process,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko.
The announcement highlights a broader policy challenge across South Africa’s social sector, where hundreds of informal, community-led shelters struggle to meet regulatory standards, leaving them excluded from permanent state support.
Public-Private Partnerships Drive Immediate Relief
While long-term compliance processes are underway, immediate support for the Tshepang Care Centre arrived through a public-private outreach initiative. Partnering with the Soweto Motorbike School and Yamaha, the department facilitated a donation of goods valued at approximately R65,000.
The relief package included industrial stoves, large cooking pots, groceries, bedding, stationery, a heat press machine, and 40 litres of paint to rehabilitate the facility.
Alfred “King Donut” Matamela, representing the Soweto Motorbike School, emphasized the role of civic coalition in supporting local communities. “The little we have collected from bikers and various donors is our way of making a difference in the lives of these children in the true spirit of Nelson Mandela,” Matamela noted.
A Call for Sustained Civic Engagement
Beyond Tembisa, the provincial Mandela Day campaign extended to Kwa Thema Day Care Centre and Lefa-Ifa Secondary School. Government officials and volunteers engaged in infrastructure rehabilitation, painting facilities with donated materials, while dignity packs were distributed to vulnerable learners.
Addressing community members during the outreach, Nkomo-Ralehoko urged citizens and civil society organizations to move past symbolic, single-day contributions.
“As we celebrate Mandela Day, let us remember that every seed planted today represents our collective determination to defeat hunger, restore dignity and build resilient communities,” the MEC remarked. “The greatest tribute we can pay to Madiba is not found in 67 minutes alone, but in ensuring that our actions continue improving lives every day of the year.”
The Department of Social Development reiterated that bringing unregistered community organizations into compliance remains a priority in its strategy to strengthen social safety nets across Gauteng.
