'Focus is on children's well-being': KZN Christian Social Services CEO
The KZN Christian Social Services says they are overjoyed after the High Court ordered the KZN Social Development Department to return almost 200 children to the Morester children's homes in Ladysmith and Newcastle.
Officials removed the children out of three homes over the weekend over allegations of racism and abuse.
CSS runs the homes. CEO, Gerhard Botha says officials arrived on Friday to remove the children.
Botha says he believes the allegations may have come from a video from 2017 showing an employee threatening staff members.
He says the employee in question faced a disciplinary then and it was agreed he could return to work. He says the employee has now been suspended.
Botha says they will co-operate with the department's investigation.
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He says the focus now is on the well-being of the children.
"Everybody's emotions have picked up - they are celebrating and preparing for the children to come back. It's a positive spirited atmosphere at this stage at all the centres."
Botha says he believes at this stage that the allegations against them may have come from a video of an employee from 2017 doing the rounds. He says the employee faced a disciplinary when it happened but has since been suspended.
