Central SA
Free State Social Development appoints 128 social workers─── KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 08:41 Tue, 03 Dec 2024
The Free State department of Social Development celebrates a milestone as it welcomes the appointment of 128 permanent social workers.
The celebration, led by MEC Mathabo Leeto, is set to take place at the Tshireletsong Child and Youth Care Centre in Bloemfontein at 10:00 on Tuesday (3/12).
These social workers have been working on contracts at the department since the Covid-19 pandemic, said spokesperson Thebile Nqabeni. The decision to employ them permanently is part of a broader effort to tackle the province’s high unemployment rate.
“This decision marks a significant step in fighting unemployment and strengthening social welfare services in the province,” said Nqabeni.
South Africa is faced by national crisis in the social work sector. Last year, more than 9,000 qualified social workers were unemployed, despite 1,279 vacant posts nationwide.
In July last year, reports showed 300 social worker positions in Central South Africa alone were unfilled. Critics, including DA MP Bridget Masango, accused the government of failing to address the acute shortage of employed social workers, which hampers efforts to provide critical social services.
The Free State has been particularly affected, with some posts remaining vacant for years. In a 2023 parliamentary response, then Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu acknowledged these challenges but offered little clarity on solutions.
‘These terminations are an arrogant response’
While the Social Development Department has made strides to combat unemployment, the Free State government has recently faced backlash over widespread contract terminations. The Premier’s Office and the Department of Health, recently terminated the contracts of more than a thousand workers due to financial difficulties.
Efforts by affected workers to overturn the decision through protests and legal action were unsuccessful. The decision sparked criticism from former MECs and MPLs.
Thabo Meeko and Oupa Khoabane lashed out at the Premier’s Office over the dismissals, describing them as contradictory to the government’s commitment to creating a developmental state. “These terminations are an arrogant response to the socio-economic challenges in the province,” said Khoabane.
