EAST LONDON- Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu on Friday urged parents to spend time reading books to their children instead of watching television soapies.
Zulu was speaking during the opening of Masibulele Daycare Centre at Mdantsane in East London.
The centre was built by the social development department's National Development Agency (NDA) for R200,000 after the previous building burnt down, leaving pupils learning in a temporary shack structure.
Zulu said: "There is a problem when parents send their children to daycare centres and spend those five to six hours but are not getting taught in their homes. Education starts at home, goes to classroom and continues when the child gets home. The motivation of children is an ongoing process."
She said many parents neglect their children and say they don't have time while they spend hours watching soapies on television.
She praised Nonkosi Nasonti-Makunga, the founder of the daycare centre, for her commitment to children's development, her perseverance until the NDA came to the rescue to build a new facility and private donors like Nutriwell, a company that packages nutrition products, for sponsoring R50,000 in kitchen appliances and nutritional meals for the pupils.
The NDA also donated R2-million for further extension and paving at the daycare centre.
Zulu urged that the money to be used for local builder to do the extension and paving work.