Question NW362 to the Minister of Social Development
20 March 2019 - NW362
Dreyer, Ms AM to ask the Minister of Social Development
(1)(a) What are the reasons that the Kempton Park Child Welfare organization closed down, (b) what number of cases was the specified organization dealing with and (c) who is responsible for the cases following the closure of the organization; (2) (a) what number of child welfare nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) closed down during 2018, (b) what is the name of each NGO that closed down, (c) where was each NGO situated, (d) what are the reasons for the closure in each case and (e) what number of cases was each NGO dealing with at the time of its closure?
Reply:
1. (a) The reason for the closed down of Kempton Park Child Welfare was due to the non-payment of salaries for the period of November 2018 to January 2019. They received their salaries for January 2019 on the 2nd February 2019. A resolution was taken in the meeting held on the 15th February 2019 with the employees and the board of management to pay February and March 2019 salaries to cover for November and December 2018 salaries not paid. Due to the deficit that led to the unpaid salaries, it was agreed that there will be no salaries paid for 2 months (February and March 2019).
(b) Kempton Park Child Welfare has caseload of 308 cases, which is disaggregated as follows:
- Finalized Foster Care cases :149
- Children placed in Child and Youth Care Centres: 40
- Lapsed foster care orders: 44
- New Foster care applications: 75
(c) During the strike, Ekurhuleni Social Development Kempton Park office was responsible temporarily for cases referred for social work intervention. Some of the social workers attached to Kempton Park Child Welfare attended to court cases while on strike. The staff/employees went back to work on the 21st February 2019 after they received salaries for November/December 2018 as per agreement.
2. (a) Eight (8) NGOs were closed during 2018.
(b) The name of organisations are as follows: (1) Tshitandani Child Care Foundation in Limpopo and (2) Cafda, (3) four Badisa offices (4) Child Welfare SA in Western Cape Province and (1) Child Welfare East London.
(c) Tshitandani Child Care Foundation is in Vhembe District in Limpopo Province; Cafda, the four Badisa Offices, Child Welfare SA are in the Western Cape Province (places affected is Riebeeck West and Lutzville areas in West Coast Region, Heidelberg and Ladysmith in Eden Karroo Region, Fisantekraal area in Metro North Region) and Child Welfare East London which is in East London.
(d) The reason for closure are voluntarily due to change of strategic focus and economic climate.
(e) 19 cases in Limpopo, between 200 and 4000 cases in Western Cape as informed by the province and 1418 cases in East London.
________________________
Approved by the Minister on
Date……………………….