Social Development intervenes at KwaMashu elderly home amid ‘infighting’
The owners of a Durban facility that cares for the elderly have been given 30 days to sort out the care home's issues, or face being shut down.
KZN Social Development MEC Mbali Shinga made an unannounced visit to the KwaMashu Christian Care Society on Thursday.
Divisions among the privately-run non-profit organisation's board members have allegedly led to the facility's bank accounts being frozen.
eThekwini Municipality has cut the home's water supply due to the facility allegedly owing it over R2 million.
Shinga says they have intervened.
"There should be running water to ensure that there is cleanliness and remember they are old and they can't be running outside with buckets getting water to and from their rooms.
"So, the management of the facility together with the assistance from our district management of eThekwini are going to the municipality to see the statement and try to make payment arrangements.
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"But, I have requested that it is important that there is running water for the smooth running and operation of the facility."
Shinga says if those in charge don't get their act together, they will recommend to the national department that the NPO be de-registered.
"We are assisting them to really comply because we wouldn't want the vulnerable like the old people to be caught up in situations like that. We are still working with them going forward to try and see that the issues are resolved.
"But, it is really an organisational issue, the NPO that runs the institution, but our role as the department is to make sure that there is conformability in terms of the residents here."
The department has brought in a third-party organisation to oversee operations at the facility.
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