Calls for audit on Early Child Development Centres
The DA has called on the KZN Social Development MEC, Nonhlanhla Khoza to urgently conduct a thorough audit of Early Child Development (ECD) facilities in the province.
Democratic Alliance KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson on Social Development, Mmabatho Tembe, has called on the KZN Legislature’s Ugu District Champion, MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza to urgently work with the province’s Department of Education to conduct a thorough audit of Early Child Development (ECD) facilities in the province.
In a statement recently, Tembe said the appeal comes as the number of illegal facilities within KZN continues to rise.
She said the DA is concerned for the safety of young children in the province and the growing number of ECDs that are not compliant, placing them at high risk.
“It has been a year since ECD centres were moved from the ambit of social development to education. This begs the question: Was there ever an audit of these facilities and their compliance levels? Government has a critical role to play in terms of ECDs. Any facility that poses a risk to children must be shut down. Equally, government must act as a support and assist emerging facilities in being properly equipped and registered. The recent closure of an illegal unregistered daycare centre in Pietermaritzburg – with 26 small children – shows that our children are easy targets for opportunists,” said Tembe, adding that while the DA commends the work done by social workers, health practitioners, and SAPS in this instance; the reality is that it is still too easy to run an illegal operation in the province.
Tembe said the DA calls on KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC, Nonhlanhla Khoza to launch a comprehensive audit and to tighten up her department’s working relationship with other provincial government departments including KZN’s Education and Community Safety and Liaison departments.
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