The shelter, Kayalitsha Children Project on Rose Street from which children were evicted recently was not legal according to the City.
The provincial Department of Social Development’s Sello Mokoena would not elaborate but said social workers were investigating the case. According to Nthatisi Modingoane, spokesperson of the City of Johannesburg, the provincial department informed the City that the shelter was not legal.
“The department was contacted and the manager indicated that children had been removed from this shelter before as it is not registered as a place of safety even though it is an NPO (non-profit organisation),” said Modingoane.
According to Modingoane the council heard about the shelter from councillor Dave Dewes after which officials went to investigate.
“The City’s social development role is to ensure the affected individuals are placed in alternative accommodation, and in the process, roped in the provincial Department of Social Development and Roodepoort Child Welfare. It was discovered during the interviews that the shelter was accommodating 27 youths,” said Modingoane.
He said alternative shelters on the West Rand were identified but some of the youths refused to accept the offer.
In the meanwhile Dewes has criticised the City’s handling of the incident as well as the eviction.
“The situation with 28 homeless children being put on the street is the result of an unscrupulous lawyer obtaining an eviction order because he misled the house mother into not opposing the application. Immediately, when it came to my attention, I contacted Region C Social Services to intervene,” says Dewes.
“Unfortunately the state has not a single homeless or emergency shelter in the whole of Roodepoort. To date the only accommodation offered by the state has been in Randfontein and Westonaria. Children would have to be split up and not be able to finish the school year as transport would not be provided.
“This situation is unacceptable because it is the state’s duty to provide accommodation in an emergency situation. Vulnerable children are left on the street because of the state’s failure to take the situation seriously,” says Dewes.
“As the ward councillor, I found NGOs and churches are reluctant to offer accommodation due to the fear that the law will not protect them when the destitute refuses to move.”
The Council have known about this home for many years as I attended a meeting where they were present. Instead of assisting Mavis and getting it registered everyone takes a back seat and points fingers. The only thing that was illegal, was the eviction. Stop sitting around talking and start doing!