GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTED TO REOPENING FATHER SMANGALISO MKHATSHWA CARE CENTRE

 By Tendamudzimu Goza

• The Gauteng Department of Social Development is investigating ways of reopening the Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa Child and Youth Care Centre in Soshanguve.
• The MEC for social development, Faith Mazibuko and a team from the department visited the facility to assess its current state and identify how best to restore operations.
• It was closed temporarily in 2020 because of occupational health and safety issues that required renovations.

The non-functioning Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa Child and Youth Care Centre in Soshanguve, Gauteng, will be reopened, according to the Gauteng MEC for social development Faith Mazibuko.

The MEC, accompanied by the acting head of the Gauteng Department of Social Development, Bongani Ngomane, and the deputy director-general for social welfare, community development, regions and institutions Onkemetse Kabasia, visited the facility on Tuesday, 4 March 2025, to assess its current state and to determine the interventions required to restore its operations.

The purpose of the visit was to inspect the institution’s infrastructure and report back to the Gauteng executive council, led by Premier Panyaza Lesufi, on its state of functionality.

The department is focused on reviving the child and youth care centre to meet operational standards, ensuring it can once again provide much-needed services to vulnerable children and youth.

During the visit, Mazibuko and the department delegation engaged with Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa staff members, who were redeployed to other departmental institutions following the facility’s temporary closure in 2020.

The closure was necessitated by issues with occupational health and safety, requiring renovations to make it more habitable.

At the time, centre housed 69 children and had a staff complement of 188.

Reviving Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa for expanded services

MEC Mazibuko acknowledged the urgent need for Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa’s reopening, stating that the department is reconfiguring the facility to accommodate an expanded range of services.

“It will not be business as usual anymore; we are reconfiguring these facilities to accommodate the needs of our various beneficiaries,” she emphasised, stressing the importance of ensuring that institutions under the department operate effectively to meet service delivery expectations.

The workers raised key concerns, including infrastructure challenges, resource shortages, and the issue of insourcing.

In response, the department is developing an action plan to address these matters while ensuring a seamless reopening of the facility.

To provide staff with flexibility, they have been given the option to remain permanently at their current placements or return to Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa on its reopening.

“This is the beginning of a better future, and workers will be updated on the progress as it happens,” the department’s head Bongani Ngomane assured.

Task team to oversee reopening

To expedite the restoration of the facility, the MEC has established a workstream task team that will collaborate with unions and other stakeholders to implement necessary interventions.

The task team, led by the deputy director-general Kabasia, will provide weekly progress reports to the MEC until the reopening process is complete.

Mazibuko emphasised that by 1 May 2025, all staff members opting to return to Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa must report for duty with appointment letters, as the institution will be reopening.

The MEC is continuing to visit various institutions across the province to identify and address operational challenges early.

This proactive approach aims to prevent further closures and ensure that all departmental facilities function optimally, ultimately enhancing service delivery for the province’s most vulnerable citizens.