The South African National NGO Coalition, (SANGOCO), emerged in 1995 to coordinate NGO input into the Government policy and ensure that the rich traditions of civil society - forged in the resistance to apartheid - continue to serve the people of South Africa. SANGOCO is the largest single umbrella body of NGOs in the Southern African region with members in every corner of the country and working on all issues affecting South Africa?s development.

The government came into office, in 1994, with a mandate to end poverty through meeting basic needs, restructuring the economy, democratising the state and strengthening civil society. It is SANGOCO?s stated aim to support the democratic government in this endeavor.

However, since the inception of the Coalition there have been a number of significant policy shifts which warranted a reassessment of its core role and function. The most important of these developments was the adoption of a macro-economic framework. This economic framework was meant to redistribute wealth, create jobs and generate economic growth but the opposite is true because of its neo-liberal character.