DA welcomes closure of north child care centre
"Since 2014, the DA has been calling on the department to intervene and act on these challenges facing this centre but the department ignored our concerns."
The DA in Gauteng has welcomed the closure of a Soshanguve child care centre reportedly by the provincial social development department. According to a statement by the DA, the Gauteng MEC for social development Nomathemba Mokgethi last week Thursday, announced the decision to close the Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa child and youth care centre (commonly known as ‘stout skool’).
The decision was apparently announced during the Gauteng provincial legislature’s social development portfolio committee virtual meeting.DA Gauteng social development spokesperson Refiloe Nt’sekhe said the centre had been closed down the day after the meeting.
“The centre has been plagued by numerous challenges ranging from corruption, mismanagement of funds and the neglect of children,” Nt’sekhe said.
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According to MEC Mokgethi, this centre which houses 69 children has been closed due to structural defects and the fact that it is costing the department more money, about R1.4-million annually per child.
“Since 2014, the DA has been calling on the department to intervene and act on these challenges facing this centre but the department ignored our concerns.”
Nt’sekhe said on several occasions, the department denied DA members access to conduct oversight visits.
“While we welcome the decision to close this centre, we question why the department has overlooked the reports of August 2018, and February 2019, which clearly indicated that this centre was not conducive for human habitation.”
The reports stated that there were structural defects which were a severe threat to human life, hence this centre has been operating on temporary occupational certificates.”
Nt’sekhe said there were also allegations that a child had died because of a leg injury suffered at the centre, but the cause of death was still unclear.
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She said the centre was another ‘Esidemini tragedy’ waiting to happen as the department had on several occasions, been warned about the danger of this building ‘but they never listened’.
“Children from this centre will be placed in various centres across the Tshwane region. The department has also identified the Salvokop centre which can accommodate 80 to 100 children.”
“The employees of this centre will either be placed at other institutions and at the regional offices. We will continue to monitor the process of the placement of children from this centre at other centres as well as the placement of the employees.”
The DA has also called on MEC Mokgethi to initiate an independent forensic investigation as a matter of urgency to determine why the centre has been operating despite the reports indicating that it was not conducive for human habitation.
Nt’sekhe said those found guilty of deliberately ignoring these reports should face the consequences of their actions of putting the lives of the vulnerable children at risk.
A spokesperson for the Gauteng social development Thabiso Hlongwane said the department would issue a statement, but had yet to do so by the time of going to publication.
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