More than 50 staff employed by SANCA Thusong have not received their salaries since the beginning of April after payments from the Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD) stalled, leaving social workers to cover essentials such as fuel and airtime from their own pockets while continuing to deliver services.
Frontline services kept running despite no pay
SANCA Thusong, based in Eersterust about 15km east of Pretoria's city centre, provides outpatient substance use treatment and prevention across several townships. The organisation is contracted by the GDSD to provide these services at roughly R878,000 every three months, according to the organisation.
Despite going unpaid for five months, staff continued to operate outreach programmes, running offices in Nellmapius, Refilwe, Zithobeni and Rethabiseng — the last three established at the department's request. The organisation reported that in the 2025/26 financial year it reached more than 160,000 people.
Partial payments after queries, but gaps remain
After queries were sent to the department, some payments were processed on a Monday, but SANCA Thusong says only two months were covered. The organisation says it remains owed the equivalent of three months’ funding.
| Contracted payment | Frequency | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Outpatient substance use treatment & prevention | Every three months | R878,000 |
Workers and clients bear the strain
Staff members say they have been buying petrol and airtime for work out of their own money and have missed salary payments, driving immediate hardships such as falling behind on rent and being unable to provide for their families. The organisation employs social auxiliary workers who do high-risk outreach, including visits to drug dens and door-to-door awareness campaigns.
"I am a charger — I give 'flat battery' clients a second chance at life," said Mamokete Molete, who has worked at SANCA Thusong for 16 years, describing the risks and responsibilities of fieldwork she continues despite not being paid.
Molete and other staff frequently enter dangerous areas to reach clients. Many are parents and say the lack of pay has forced them to cut essential services for their families, including after-school care and transport.
Why this matters to Gauteng
Substance use services form part of the province’s broader public health and social support network. Disruptions to contracted non-profit partners can reduce prevention, counselling and referral capacity for vulnerable communities that already struggle with access to care.
Community-based organisations such as SANCA Thusong often operate on tight margins and rely on timely government transfers to cover staff and operational costs. When payments are delayed, the organisations still tend to prioritise client-facing work — but at personal cost to workers and at risk to long-term service sustainability.
- Service continuity: SANCA Thusong continued to provide services despite the funding gap.
- Human impact: Over 50 staff went unpaid, buying work-related necessities themselves and falling behind on bills.
- Unpaid balance: The organisation reports being owed three months’ funding after the department paid two months following media queries.
What the department and SANCA have said
The SANCA Thusong account of unpaid staff and partial payments followed questions to the Gauteng Department of Social Development. According to reporting, the department processed some payments several days after being queried, but SANCA Thusong still awaits the remainder.
At a time when provincial budgets and transfers are under increasing public scrutiny, the situation raises questions about contract management and the protection of frontline workers who deliver vital services in high-risk communities.
For residents in affected communities, the immediate concern is continuity of care. For staff, it is the certainty of pay. For the provincial department, it is the prompt settlement of obligations so non-profit partners can operate without placing the burden of basic costs on individual workers.
Reporting will continue as further information is confirmed from the Gauteng Department of Social Development and from SANCA Thusong regarding outstanding payments and plans to stabilise service delivery.
