‘Potential collapse of KZN social services’
DA has called for urgent answers from the KZN Social Development MEC, Nonhlanhla Khoza following reports of numerous social workers resigning from the province’s Department of Social Development (DSD).
KwaZulu-Natal Legislature’s Ugu District Champion, Nonhlanhla Khoza has rubbished claims by the Democratic Alliance that there is a concerning course of events that has the potential to collapse the province’s social services.
On Monday last week, DA KZN spokesperson on Social Development, Mmabatho Tembe, said the party has called for urgent answers from the KZN Social Development MEC, Nonhlanhla Khoza following reports of numerous social workers resigning from the province’s Department of Social Development (DSD).
Tembe said the information was made available during a recent KZN Social Development portfolio committee meeting.
She said the concerning course of events has the potential to collapse KZN’s social services, adding that the exodus comes at a time when the DSD is already experiencing challenges due to insufficient social workers on the ground.
“The situation also indicates a major problem within the Department and a lack of measures being taken to mitigate ongoing issues. Having fewer social workers is set to have a severe impact on service delivery. This in a province plagued by social ills including gender-based violence (GBV), teenage pregnancy, HIV AIDS, drug and alcohol abuse and natural disaster. How the DSD will fulfil its mandate to the people with limited social workers remains uncertain. It is common knowledge that most KZN social workers are already over-burdened. With fewer colleagues, due to resignations, those that remain within the system are likely to become even more overwhelmed resulting in burnout, cases being left unattended and possibly even more resignations,” said Tembe.
She added that the DA has submitted a written parliamentary question to the MEC to determine the reasons for the resignations.
However, MEC Khoza said she noted with grave concern the irresponsible conduct of the DA for spreading absolute lies about the state of staffing in the department.
Khoza said following a frank and transparent meeting between Departmental officials and the Social Development Portfolio Committee, the DA, desperate to make headlines, decided to twist the facts and create panic amongst the public by declaring the Provincial Social services is in crisis due to what they term “exodus” of Social Workers.
“The conduct of the DA is highly irresponsible and deeply regrettable because there is absolutely no mass departure of social workers. What we shared with the Portfolio Committee was a normal report of Human Resources issues within the Department. We also shared with the committee that 11 social work practitioners were leaving the employ of the Department due to various reasons. This is the normal annual social worker turnover rate as a result of, among others, people going on early retirement, practitioners reaching retirement age or social workers seeking greener pastures. Basically, there is nothing alarming behind the staff turnover figure that we shared with members of the portfolio committee,” said Khoza, adding that the Department has a well-oiled machinery to ensure that the departure of personnel causes as little disturbance to the ability of the Department to fulfil its mandate.
Khoza said of the staff complement of 1 735, including social workers, supervisors and managers, only 11 have resigned since the April 1, 2022.
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