Minister Sisisi Tolashe pledges to address the social service challenges faced by the eMfuleni community, following concerns raised during an outreach programme. Photographer: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers
SOCIAL Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe committed to the people of eMfuleni in Cape Town on Tuesday that her department and the South African Social Services Agency (Sassa) will work with them to resolve the challenges they faced.
“We are with you. We are to work with you. We are to make sure that you receive the services that are acceptable to all South Africans,” Tolashe said.
She made the statement after listening to the concerns raised by the community leaders during an outreach programme held at Nyameko Primary School.
Speaking on behalf of the community, community leader Thembani Thaka said they did not have a government department in the area except the satellite police station.
“There is no Home Affairs, no hospital that operates 24/7. The smallanyana clinic operates from 7am until 4pm,” Thaka said.
“The most important and critical part of the community are social workers. We don’t have social workers at eMfuleni,” he added.
Thaka asked that the outreach programme be extended to Friday so that all the people who lined up in a queue could receive services.
He told Tolashe that they were putting their hopes on her to turn around their plight.
“We have seen VIPs come here and nothing happens after that. We now have you and we wait to see a pathway,” Thaka said.
Another community leader, Queenie Doda, complained about the Sassa’s offices at Eersterivier, saying they received limited services there.
Doda said they were forced to make their way there very early in the morning or sleep over outside the premises if they were to get services before the officials reached their target of servicing the people each day.
Latifa Jacobs asked that the Sassa mobile services be increased so that eMfuleni people did not have to sleep outside Eersterivier offices to access services.
“I plead with you to look at this. Please do not look at long-term solutions only, but also look at short-term solutions,” Jacobs said.
In her wide-ranging speech, Tolashe thanked all those who attended the outreach programme.
Tolashe said they were working hard to make sure that those who were entitled to social grants, received them.
She, however, noted that Sassa was saddled with cybercrime and fraud syndicates.
Tolashe also spoke about the problem of teenage pregnancy and urged parents to play their part in looking after their children.
The minister noted with concern the taverns and shebeen that operated the whole night, saying there was a need for them to have specified opening and closing times.
She committed to engage with Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson regarding the limited office space for Sassa.
“We are prioritising meeting the minister so that we can talk to him to get more buildings.”
She said the issue of people sleeping over outside Sassa offices exposed them to many things such as extortion and rape of women.
“We are to make sure that comes to an end and that there is a plan to address the situation.”
Tolaske acknowledged that there was a high shortage of social workers in her department amid some that were trained but not yet employed.
“Something is being done to recruit more social workers,” said Tolashe, adding that the social ills bedevilling society required the services of more social workers.
mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za