Cape Town - Social workers in Cape Town have been forced to work from their cars - some even consulting with patients on the back seat of their vehicles or a nearby church - to avoid their dilapidated offices which they call “death traps”.
About 35 staff, including 22 qualified social workers, refuse to continue working in the Milpark building in Milnerton because the structure is in such a state of disrepair that one staff member was almost hit by a collapsing ceiling panel.
The department of social development told the Cape Argus that Western Cape Social Development MEC Albert Fritz was aware of the issues and had forwarded numerous complaints to the Department of Transport and Public Works, which was responsible for office accommodation.
Despite this, many of the social workers said they depended on the charity of a nearby church that allowed them to accommodate the intake of more than 40 patients a day in three impromptu consultation rooms. On days where the intake is too much, the desperate social workers use the back seats of their personal cars as consultation rooms.
The group said they also opted to use their personal cellphones and laptops to
park benches as desks in a public park close by to avoid entering “the death trap”.
In almost every section of the office, the ceilings and walls are damp and rotten with mould spreading along the areas where rain water was allowed to seep through.
The offices lack fresh air ventilation and, with the constant floods and rain this winter season, it created a favourable environment for bacteria and mould to thrive, said a social worker who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal.
Kath Brinks, founder of the Little Brinks Foundation, said staff had first complained about the state of the building in 2014 and that it had been deteriorating since then. “But no real intervention has been made to make the office habitable,” she said.
Brink’s foundation works hand-in-hand with the Department of Social Development and relies on the expertise of the social workers to help the abused and molested children she brings to their attention.
“I come here with kids often and the situation is really bad here so that I worry about their health. I bring kids with respiratory problems and skin problems. Sometimes the mats they play on are still wet from the rain and floods and they get sick.
“They play below a hole in the ceiling where the water pours through. I rescue them from horrible situations and do not want to expose them to a different kind of danger,” said Brink.
Rooms that hold irreplaceable data accumulated over years of consultations are under threat of being destroyed as water leakages, dangerously close to the operation’s computer database, drip near electrical cables.
The Cape Argus noticed that the fire alarm was missing and that the sections of ceiling panel that carried the fire sprinklers had collapsed.
“If there is ever a fire threat in this building, our lives would be in danger,” said another social worker.
The disability toilet has been broken for months. Recently, the stench of an overflowing toilet in the building made even remedial tasks in the building unbearable for those who needed to complete work there.
“A few weeks ago, it was raining and the entire floor was flooded. The mats were still soaked by the afternoon and we had to work in that damp and cold. I had back pains for weeks after that. We just want the department to help us. We will work inside of the building when it is safe. We want to see the Health Department’s report to prove that this building is safe,” said a social worker.
In a media response to the Cape Argus, the Department of Social Development said the Department of Transport and Public Works had completed a “major servicing”of the airconditioning last week.
In addition, a plumber was on site dealing with the plumbing issues, said the department.
“A number of interior issues are being addressed. Meanwhile, we are looking at relocating staff with the assistance of the Department of Transport and Public Works,” the Social Development Department said.
Mayco member for energy, environmental and spatial planning Johan van der Merwe confirmed that an inspection had been conducted by the principal building inspector and it had been found that internal alterations - drywall portioning to create additional office space - had been done without approved building plans.
In a document seen by the Cape Argus, the owners of the building were given 60 days to submit and have the building plans approved; the City of Cape Town threatened legal action if they failed to do so.
The Department of Public Works had not responded to media inquiries at the time of going to print.
Cape Argus