Gauteng early childhood development educators protest over funding crisis
Premier Lesufi urged to intervene
About 300 early childhood development centre educators picketed near Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s office in Johannesburg on Thursday. Photo: Silver Sibiya
About 300 early childhood development (ECD) educators protested over unpaid subsidies in Johannesburg on Thursday. They demanded Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi urgently intervene in the funding crisis.
Led by the South African Congress for Early Childhood Development, the educators, dressed in white, marched from Beyers Naudé Square to the Premier’s office.
The protesters say ECD centres have not received funds promised by the provincial government. They demanded that the Gauteng Department of Education honour an agreement signed in March to pay ECD centres R24 per child per day. Instead, the centres say, they have received only R10 per child, and many centres have not been paid at all.
“We are supposed to be paid quarterly, but some centres haven’t received any payment for two terms,” said Queen Nomthandazo Somdaka, a congress leader.
“On August 19, we were told payments would be made, but that deadline has passed. What must the children eat in the meantime?” she asked.
The protesters also want unregistered ECD centres to be formally recognised, and certain municipal by-laws affecting their operations to be scrapped.
Fana Mogashoa, who runs a crèche in Soshanguve, said the funding crisis has left centres unable to pay staff or cover running costs. His centre, established in 1999 by his late mother, employs 12 people and serves 86 children, aged two to four years old.
“Without these subsidies, we rely on parents’ fees, but most parents depend on child grants and cannot afford to pay regularly,” Mogashoa said. “We used to manage when payments came on time, but now we’re drowning.”
Lesufi’s advisor, Mxolisi Eric Xayiya, received the memorandum on behalf of the provincial government. He proposed that three representatives from the protesters join a steering committee to meet with officials on Friday and report back.
The educators, however, said they expect a formal response from the Premier’s office by 4 September.
Gauteng government spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga has not responded to our queries.
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Letters
Dear Editor
The department delays paying on time. They don't meet their agreements. They change things that we are used to from the social development department instead of upgrading, and they don't talk to us before making these decisions. They must know: nothing for us without us! The whole nation is struggling – we don't need that. Children's educations are suffering.
They don't take us seriously. We need improvements and progress for ECDs.
Nothing for us without us! They must talk to the South African Association of ECD. We need service delivery.
Dear Editor
I am surprised that President Ramaphosa started something that I believe was not well planned and budgeted for. Putting funding responsibilities under the department of education was a big mistake. Gauteng Department of Education does not comply at all. They do not honour the Service Level agreement they adopted from DSD. The president was supposed to leave funding under social services and allow GDE to assess the programme.
Before we were taken over by GDE, we were funded on time. Schools were always crying before ECD was moved over to GDE. It is not working. Crèches are supposed to help communities who can't pay.
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