Cape Town – Early Childhood Development practitioners and supporters braved the cold weather and took to the streets to demonstrate against the R1.3 billion allocated to temporarily employ youth to monitor the reopening of ECD sites.
The workers are hoping a week-long national protest will convince the Department of Social Development (DSD) Minister, Lindiwe Zulu, to redirect the available funds to save jobs.
In the province members of NGO, Elru, and teachers demonstrated in Lansdowne and Ottery wearing black and yellow T-shirts, holding placards that read “SaveECDWorkforce”.
Protester Annete Roberson said many ECD workers had lost their jobs.
“As an NGO that works within ECD we had to be out today because we work with many centres and know their struggles. We believe this money can be used wisely to assist the workforce.
’’We already have the compliance officers who are doing this job that they want to deploy other people for. Some of these officers have lost their jobs, so (why) not support what we already have,” said Roberson.
The C-19 People’s Coalition’s ECD Work Stream’s Eric Atmore said there were no details on how the funds that have a potential to sustain over 175 000 long-term jobs mostly pioneered by women entrepreneurs at community level, would be allocated to deploy the youths.
“The R1.3 billion is ripe for corruption. Jobs are at risk if urgent support for the ECD workforce is not forthcoming. These jobs belong to the people working in some 30 000 ECD centres across the country.
“Almost 1 million children will be affected by the closure of these centres and 1 million other jobs that depend on access to childcare will be affected indirectly,” said Atmore.
A campaign petition has so far garnered close to 10 000 signatures. https://www.change.org/SaveOurECD
The DSD did not respond to questions.
Cape Times