NOKWANDA NCWANE
Pretoria - Caregivers at the North Gauteng Mental Health Society (Tswelelopele Special Care Centre) in Atteridgeville closed the centre down on Monday over salary disputes.
The workers locked the gates and turned away drivers who were there to drop off children.
They said they had been trying for months to meet Moses Pheega, a director of the NGO.
They said he did not want to meet them to discuss their grievances, among them, a salary increase.
One of the caregivers, Rosina Leso, told Pretoria News they had been raising their issues but it had not been given enough attention.
“We earn a measly R2 690. How can we survive on that salary? We pay rent, buy food, and have to pay for transport. It is not enough.”
The workers say they want to earn at least the official minimum wage so they can take care of themselves and their families.
Worker, Magdelina Hlongwane, alleged the workers sometimes had to take money from their pockets to buy food for the children, and toilet paper and disposable gloves.
Since July, the centre has been depending on donations.
Cynthia Shange, who works at the centre, said supplies were last delivered to the centre in July.
Three of the caregivers also tested positive for Covid-19 but the centre was not disinfected.
Parent, Peter Mabitsela, whose son has severe cerebral palsy, said the director had been playing hide-and-seek with them and was never available.
“This strike is affecting us as parents. Where are we supposed to take our kids since the centre is closed? This came as a shock to us, as parents.”
Mabitsela also alleged that the organisation’s board members sometimes took donations to their head office and were misusing funds.
The centre initially cared for 25 children, but since the pandemic and lockdown started, some did not return.
It now has 14 children with special needs.
The director is allegedly still claiming from the Department of Health for the other children, even though they are no longer physically under the centre’s care.
Representatives from the organisation’s HR and finance departments said the director was made aware of the issue but could not get to the centre to meet the workers.
Gladys Mothapo, in the finance department, said: “We only see him whenever he comes to the office. Maybe he left the province, we don’t know.”
Other employees said they had heard from the director that money from the government was just more than R1 000 a child.
They also said this was not the first time such an issue had been raised, but they had been trying to use the right channels to address it.
Meanwhile, efforts to get comment from the director or the Department of Social Development by telephone and emails were not successful.
Pretoria News