Empty promises: Questions linger over new elderly care centre in Kagiso

The Kagiso Elderly Care Centre was promised to be a facility that would prioritise the well-being of the elders in the community. The centre was launched by Mogale City Executive Mayor Lucky Sele in April; however, months later, the facility is simply an empty shell with no staff and no elders to cater for.

The centre was considered a state-of-the-art facility at the time of its opening. It fulfilled the commitment made in 2016 when the project was first proposed during an Integrated Development Plan (IDP) meeting.

According to Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) communication officer Refilwe Mahlangu, at the time of the launch, the centre was completed in October last year for R30m and granted an occupational certificate by MCLM, allowing it to start operating. Mogale City Executive Mayor and Gauteng Social Development MEC Faith Mazibuko unveiled the centre with elders present. However, when the Krugersdorp News arrived at the site, it was vacant. The R30m invested was allocated for 28 temporary jobs and included all expenses such as materials, labour, furniture, gymnasium equipment, and sewing machines.

• Also read: Kagiso Centre for the Elderly finally opens

The News spoke to the workers at the centre, who expressed their disappointment with MCLM’s lack of clarity regarding their contracts and future employment.

According to Mokgadi Malatji, a caretaker at the centre, the staff worked for two months and never received a single payment, nor were they given reasons for the sudden closure of the facility.

“When the centre opened, all seemed positive at first; we did what was required of us, such as looking after the elderly and ensuring their needs were met. Then, suddenly, we were informed by the facility manager towards the end of May that we should not come to work. There was no explanation as to why, and we never received payment for our work,” Malatji said.

Another caretaker, Musa Tlhomelang, confirmed to the News that the centre was opened briefly and that they were initially given a six-month contract with an option for renewal. However, after the sudden closure, she is unsure whether they will regain their jobs.

“When asking questions, we were told that the Department of Social Development was in charge of recruitment and salaries; however, we were never given any referrals to voice our complaints,” Tlhomelang said.

The News contacted the MCLM for comment, but no response had been received by the time of publication. However, the elderly centre was briefly mentioned by Mayor Lucky Sele during his State of the City address, where he described it as a significant milestone for the elderly in the community. He added that it would form part of MCLM’s Community Development Services and public safety initiatives aimed at improving infrastructure.