NGOs and the service delivery challenge

South Africa was party to a global commitment to promote human development and to eradicate severe poverty in the first decades of the 21st century. Whilst great progress has been made in reducing poverty and inequality over the past fifty years, a quarter of the world's population still continues to live in poverty. Human development to eradicate poverty is believed to be not only feasible and affordable, but also a moral imperative for the global community in the next millennium (UNDP 1997). South Africa is known to be one of the most unequal societies in the world in the distribution of income and wealth. This situation has impacted negatively on the growth potential of the economy; the country's human development profile; the capability of vast sectors of the population to develop their assets and to maintain sustainable livelihoods; access to basic services; and the impac tof this on social stability. Income and human poverty measured by social indicators such as life expectancy, literacy, material means and access to services and marginalisation of sectors of the population correlate strongly with racial, gender and spatial dimensions, including age and disability. The instituion of a democracy and the adoption and implementation of the Reconstruction and Development Programme by government departments have created opportunities to develop creative partnerships in addressing poverty and in meeting vast backlogs in social services. Non-governmental organisations have played and continue to play a significant role in poverty alleviation, in the delivery of social services, development programmes and in building a democratic culture. This paper will provide a brief overview of the impact of the transition on NGOs. Some of the critical issues in forging partnerships between NGOs, government and the private sector will be touched on, and the paper will conclude with a discussion of the roles and challenges facing NGOs and private welfare organisations in poverty alleviation and in implementing developmental welfare programmes.