Gauteng Department of Social Development has no occupational therapists

10 October 2019

The Gauteng Department of Social Development has no occupational therapists and consistently fails to fill critical posts within the department.

This was revealed in the department’s annual report for the 2018/19 financial year.

According to the report, the department has a 100 percent vacancy rate of occupational therapists and an 82 percent vacancy rate of psychologists.

This indicates that 10 occupational therapist posts and 9 posts for psychologists were not filled during the 2018/19 financial year.

Money is not a challenge for the department as they have underspent by R419,2 million, this money could have been spent in hiring occupational therapists and psychologists.

Failure by the department to fill these very critical and specialised posts have a severe impact on the lives of our poor people who cannot afford private services.

This department’s incompetence is affecting the most vulnerable residents of Gauteng as occupational therapists and psychologists play a critical role in counselling, promoting positive behaviour and in helping children with development and learning problems.

The DA calls on the Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Thuliswa Nkabinde-Khawe to urgently fill all vacant critical posts in the department to ensure that the public receives all the professional services it needs.

Issued by Refiloe Nt’sekhe, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development, 10 October 2019