SANDF might be called in amid social workers’ strike

JOHANNESBURG: The Gauteng government may be forced to resort to seeking assistance from the SANDF to resolve staff shortages at welfare care centres if the social workers’ strike continues, MEC for Social Development Nandi Mayathula-Khoza said yesterday.

This comes after a six-monthold baby girl, Singalakha Sonamazi, died on Tuesday after being moved from Walter Sisulu Child and Youth Care Centre in Soweto to Bethany Trust Home, a charity home in Krugersdorp, due to the strike by social workers affiliated to the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu).

At least 90 children were moved from various care centres in the province due to the strike.

Mayathula-Khoza appealed to workers to exercise their right to strike, but to try to avoid intimidation and compromising service delivery.

“In our meeting with the premier of Gauteng (David Makhura) yesterday to break this sad news to him, he indicated that he may be forced to request the assistance of the SANDF to assist in rendering services to our vulnerable beneficiaries.”

Mayathula-Khoza said even though Sonamazi was diagnosed with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and had low birth weight, it was still unclear what had caused her death.

“Let us state upfront that at this stage it is unclear what caused the little girl’s death, but the fact that we had to move her, along with 90 other children, due to the acts of violence as experienced last week, makes our work to protect children very challenging.”

Meanwhile, Nehawu denied that its strike action had resulted in the death of Sonamazi, saying that Mayathula-Khoza should take full accountability for her death. Despite a court order barring Nehawu from demonstrating less than 100m near Mayathula-Khoza’s office, its members were protesting outside the Office of the Premier, singing vulgar songs against government officials. Nehawu will tomorrow brief the media on the ongoing strike at the Department of Social Development. – ANA