Note to Broadcasters: Please find linked soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Hendriëtte van Huyssteen MPL.
The DA today wrote to the MEC of Social Development, Sussana Dantjie, urging her to intervene in the forceful closure of the Social Development Service Point in Naledi.
This service point was closed on 5, 8 and 9 September 2025, allegedly by a few disgruntled social workers. According to reports, a few social workers are unhappy with management.
The doors are locked, the door locks are damaged, and officials cannot gain entrance to their office or to their clients or patients. The social workers who were ready to work parked outside the building, unable to access the building and unable to provide essential services.
All client/patient records are locked in the offices, which is affecting case management and service provision.
The closure also stopped a training session planned for Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) on the 5th of September. The training was supposed to assist NPOs with drawing up business plans that have to be submitted on the 12th of September in order to be eligible for vital departmental funding. The current closure, as it continues, risks discriminatory treatment of these entities and impedes assistance to vulnerable populations.
The DA also submitted written questions to Susanna Dantjie, requesting further information on the legality of the protest action, the ramifications for the employees of the affected NPOs and how the Department will be engaging with affected NPOs.
The cessation of these services affects the most vulnerable in our communities, and urgent action must be taken. The DA’s values – accountability and transparency – are key to providing social development services to those who require them.