At the Council meeting held on January 31, the Democratic Alliance in Ekurhuleni managed to convince councillors to pass an urgent motion compelling the Department of Health and Social Development to implement a comprehensive audit of all crèches within the metro.
DA spokesperson for health and social development Alderman Tania Campbell said the initiative forms part of the DA’s effort to better understand Early Development Centres, as well as curb child abuse within the municipality.
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“The motion was passed with the backdrop of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children.
“With little or no controls and standards in unregistered crèches, there is potential for negligence and malpractice which can leave our children vulnerable to child abuse necessitating the need for greater scrutiny over crèches to ensure that our children are safe from harm,” said Campbell.
Campbell added the urgency of the motion demonstrates the DA’s commitment to ensuring the safety of our children and the importance of fostering an environment that promotes healthy cognitive development within the crèches.
She said with the passing of the motion, she will work to hold the department accountable to ensure that the audit is conducted and implemented with urgency in order to make crèches within Ekurhuleni safer places for our children.
