Another shelter struggles after Sheriff comes knocking
The Department of Social Development has stopped assisting some welfare organisations in the community. This leaves many vulnerable community members without any help or support.
Polekego House was established to look after and help the most vulnerable members of our community; to feed them, clothe them, help them, love them and make them feel safe. But all this might be gone soon.
The centre for abused and neglected women and children recently suffered a heavy blow when staff from the local sheriff’s office showed up to seize their furniture and equipment.
In 2000, the shelter opened its doors and then moved to its current premises in 2004.
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https://www.citizen.co.za/krugersdorp-news/374350/who-will-help-the-children-when-there-is-nothing-left/
In 2006, the shelter started receiving funding from the Department of Social Development. Their budget included cooks, social workers and others.
In April 2018 however, the funding from Social Development dried up, meaning they had to rely solely on donations from the community.
For the past year, not one staff member at the shelter has received a salary and this, according to Daisy Modutwane who works at the shelter, has caused many of the staff members to leave.
However, one of these staff members, an auxiliary social worker, opened a case with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
According to Ruth Molefe, one of the shelter’s co-founders, the man was claiming the salary owed to him since April 2018. The amount came to about R51 000.
In October 2018, the CCMA asked the shelter when they would be able to pay the employee the money owed to him.
The management told the CCMA they are in talks with the Department of Social Development to try and find out when they would receive funding again, but they believed it would all be back to normal at the end of January 2019.
January came and went, but still no funding had come from the Department, and they could not pay the employee in question.
On Tuesday, 30 April, the sheriff’s employees showed up at the shelter and seized the printers and TVs. They later came back with a trailer to load the rest of the furniture.
They took everything in the office, everything in the kitchen and everything in the laundry – washing machines, TV sets, cupboards, pots, couches and more.
“The sad thing is that most of this furniture was donated by the community, or even just lent to us, and does not belong to us,” said Daisy.
At the moment there are about 10 women living there with their children. What their future holds, no one knows.
“We will continue to serve our community and help where we can, with what we have left,” said Ruth.
This is not the only organisation whose funds from the Department of Social Development have now dried up.
The News reported in February that Child Welfare SA Kagiso had also not received any funding since April 2018.
The News has requested comment from the Krugersdorp Sheriff’s Department, the Department of Social Development and the CCMA, but has not received any reply as yet.
