News24.com | 'It is not safe at all': Cape Town social workers under attack while trying to help people at home

Social Development MEC Sharna Fernandez

• Social workers have come under attack while visiting people in their homes in some parts of Cape Town.
• The Western Cape social development department employs 742 social workers.
• More than R200 million has been allocated over the medium term for the compensation of employees by the department.

Cape Town social workers want to help people in their homes, but are being attacked in certain areas, leaving the provincial social development department concerned.

Social Development MEC Sharna Fernandez said that while social workers are conducting their work they are faced with verbal and physical attacks from members of the public.

"Criminals also target government infrastructure like vehicles and buildings in hotspots," Fernandez said. 

The department said the areas of concern include Khayelitsha, Philippi, Nyanga, and Gugulethu, with recent attacks occurring between 27-31 March.

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Social workers reported being assaulted and hijacked, and faced numerous break-ins at the social development building in Atlantis.

According to the MEC, the department employed 742 social workers, 251 social auxiliary workers, and 162 social work professionals at various levels. 

Despite the attacks, the department said 247 additional social service professionals would be appointed.

Fernandez added that the appointments would hopefully "stabilise an overburdened" welfare and child protection system, especially in crime hot spots. 

READ | 'Traumatised' emergency staff targeted by violent criminals in Western Cape

Noluvu Volufu, a social worker at the department, told News24 that working and conducting home visits in areas such as Nyanga and Gugulethu put their safety at risk. 

"It is not safe at all. Last year, two social workers conducting home visits at Old Crossroad were robbed of their cellphones, and the car was stolen," Volufu said. 

She recalled another traumatic experience when she was robbed at knifepoint in 2017, during a home visit. Her cellphone was stolen. 

Volufu is a supervisor and works with eight colleagues at the Zolani Sports and Recreation Centre in Nyanga. 

She added:

Volufu said home visits had decreased to avoid risking their safety, and social workers did more desk and office work with community members.  

"As a supervisor, it is difficult and overwhelming. I cannot force my staff to go into areas if they are not feeling safe," she said.

Volufu said social workers were exposed to violence daily when helping families.  

"We must remove children from their homes, and some parents resist. There are fights about the care of the child."

According to Volufu, social workers frequently approached the SA Police Service (SAPS) to escort them in dangerous areas, but police were often short-staffed, and requesting help could take a long time.  

"We need dedicated LEAP (law enforcement advancement plan) officers and the SAPS team readily available when we need them. There is nothing to help us now, and we must wait at the police station like regular public members," said a concerned Volufu.

Western Cape police spokesperson, Sergeant Wesley Twigg, confirmed that SAPS assisted other government departments by escorting them to areas of concern if requested.

"The police believe in service excellence and will do everything in their power to create a safe and secure environment for all people," Twigg said. 

The provincial social development department said "a whole-of-society approach" was also needed.

"Community members are urged to support social work professionals who are rendering a vital service, like alerting authorities if they see suspicious activity around government infrastructure (such as vehicles and buildings) or keeping an eye out for criminals wishing to threaten or harm staff," Fernandez said. 

In her budget speech, delivered on 28 March, Fernandez announced that the department had received R207 million for the compensation of employees over the 2023 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period.

Of this, about R61 million was allocated for 2023/24, over R69 million for 2024/25, and over R76 million for 2025/26.

"This funding will ensure the filling of priority posts within the department, including the appointment of social service professionals, which includes social workers, social auxiliary workers at the coalface and child and youth care workers at secure care centres," the department added. 

Fernandez said they had an employee health and wellness programme that supported all social service professionals.