Pretoria - Gauteng Social Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza has condemned the incident at Grace Day Care and Aftercare in Kempton Park, where a five-year-old child was allegedly fed sunlight liquid by the principal, as a form of punishment.
MEC Mayathula-Khoza, who visited the centre on Monday, said centre owners and managers are under an obligation to create the right set of conditions and to take concrete steps in a bid to improve children’s growth and safety.
“Care centres are entrusted by parents to ensure that children are treated with care and are kept safe at all times. Thus we find it unacceptable that this incident allegedly occurred at the place where children are supposed to be safe,” said MEC Mayathula-Khoza.
She emphasised that a proper child care centre should adhere to the norms and standards as prescribed by the Children’s Act, Act 38 of 2005, which stipulates that children must at all times be cared for and protected in order to be safe.
Caregiver skills development programme
MEC Mayathula-Khoza also added that the department is putting in place a parenting-caregiver skills development programme to strengthen and to build on existing knowledge and skills to ensure that parents and caregiver provide the best possible care to children.
“Our aim is to improve the skills of parents and caregivers and to advise on how to apply what they have learnt,” said MEC Mayathula-Khoza.
The parents of a child has formally reported the matter to Norkem SAPS and a case has been opened. An investigation is underway.
The MEC assured that the Gauteng Provincial Government is acting decisively to ensure that the matter is attended to as they work with the parents of the affected child and the police.
The centre is also being monitored by Child Welfare South Africa, and continuous visits and close monitoring are undertaken to prevent incidents of this nature.
“The parents and family members would continue to receive psycho-social support to help them cope with the emotional distress associated with ill-treatment towards their child.
“We wish to assure all of you that our department, working with law enforcement agencies, all spheres of government and the Justice Department will do everything humanly possible to ensure that the necessary action is taken against anyone who may be found to have acted unlawfully.” – SAnews.gov.za
