DA wants answers on abandoned social development department buildings

The DA picketed outside the department of social development buildings in the East London CBD on Tuesday morning, demanding they be reopened.

The buildings have been abandoned since December 2019 over unresolved issues with the working environment.

The DA said social workers and officials allegedly abandoned the department’s local and district offices in Fleet Street due to claims of a flea infestation and gas fumes from batteries. 

MP Kobus Botha said members of the public were in desperate need of assistance with grant applications, applying for food parcels, pension assistance and other services.

He said they had been thrown to the wolves in a province where poverty was rife. 

“The department has been plagued with problems linked to the buildings they occupy, with their offices in Zwelitsha abandoned in 2019 due to leaking formaldehyde gas, and the Komga offices abandoned in 2021 for, among other things, being too small,” Botha said. 

On a surprise oversight inspection they made in October, Botha and BCM caucus leader Sue Bentley found that the department of sport, recreation, arts and culture, which shared the offices with social development, were fully operational, but the social development offices had been abandoned. 

“The government must reflect the will of the people and our elected representatives must be directly accountable to the people,” Botha said.

“Those to whom we entrust our nation’s highest offices have a sacred duty to live up to that trust.”

A memorandum handed over to officials contained several demands by the DA; 

• We want the environmental contamination report to be released within seven working days; 

• All offices must be open and functional on or before December 15 2023;
• There must be a clear plan of how the district will deal with social service backlogs; 

• Quality social services must be rendered in line with Batho Pele principles to the public; 

• A detailed report must be presented on why there was a two-year delay by department of social development management in addressing the fears of staff regarding the alleged contamination of the offices; 

• A report as to why no attempts were made to provide mobile offices, or any other plans to ensure public accessibility to social services; 

• This incident to be recorded in the risk management register of the department to ensure that a proper risk mitigation plan is developed to mitigate future similar incidents from disrupting social services. 

It said these demands must be presented in writing to the Eastern Cape social development portfolio committee.

While our children starve and die, the government drags its feet on reforms that would make a real difference in the cost of basic goods and enable poverty-stricken families to put food on table

“While our children starve and die, the government drags its feet on reforms that would make a real difference in the cost of basic goods and enable poverty-stricken families to put food on table,” Botha said.

“The [department of social development] must always act honestly, transparently and in the best interests of the public.” 

The Dispatch reported in 2020 , almost two years since the social development department’s offices in the Beacon Hill building near Zwelitsha closed down because of safety concerns, that officials were still working from their vehicles. 

Trade union Nehawu has also entered the fray, complaining that service to the public is suffering and this frustrates staff. 

Nehawu called for a proper and permanent building that would meet all the National Occupational Safety Association (Nosa) standards. 

A number of nonprofit organisations have not been paid or received their monthly grants. 

Social development spokesperson Mzukisi Solani said air quality at the office had been completed and the department was waiting for a final report.

“The department has removed all the files from the offices and steam-cleaned the walls, carpets, air conditioners and furniture,” said Solani.

“Most officials are temporarily stationed at our residential facilities.

“The department has distributed contact numbers of all key officials for any other community service required. Home visits are conducted for cases referred and clients who contacted the officials. All these arrangements are temporary until the function of creating safe working space is completed.”

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