Residents upset about crèche closures
They accuse the municipality of neglecting them as two local crèches have been closed down without any explanation
WARD 9 residents say the integration of their ward into Mthonjaneni Municipality from Ntambanana was a curse.
They accuse the municipality of neglecting them as two local crèches have been closed down without any explanation.
After last year’s local government elections ward 4 was changed to ward 9 and placed under uMthonjaneni’s jurisdiction.
One of the affected residents, Nomusa Ngcobo, said they are now forced to pay extra money to transport their children to a neighbouring crèche.
‘After the integration, caregivers started resigning one after the other. Both Nsimbakazi and Ncwane crèches were working fine, but today some of our young children have to walk long distances to another crèche because their parents are struggling financially,’ said Ngcobo.
‘Mayor Sibongiseni Biyela is aware of the problem. He came here but failed to remedy the situation.’
She said the community wanted to know why these crèches were built if the municipality could not afford the operational costs.
One of the cleaners who worked as security guard at KwaNcwane crèche, Sibisiso Zulu, said he had worked there for four years while the ward was under the Ntambanana Municipality.
‘After the integration I only worked for a year before I was retrenched at the end of July.
‘Now my family only survives thanks to handouts from my parents, who are pensioners.’
Mayor Biyela said he was not aware that the crèches had been closed.
‘We depend on the ward councillor to keep us informed about such matters and we have not heard anything about these crèches. As from next month I will be visiting every ward in this municipality,’ Biyela said.
Councillor Thulani Zincume confirmed he had not reported the closure of the two crèches.
‘I am currently in a meeting with Bhonkolo residents to get the gist of why the crèches were closed.
“From here I will attend to Ncwane and Nsimbakazi residents and after that compile a report for the mayor and see what can be done to remedy the situation,’said Zincume.
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