Youth care facility's safety questioned following 11-year-old's disappearance

The guardian of an 11-year-old boy who absconded from a Youth Care Facility and walked from Khayelitsha to Delft has questioned the facility’s register and roll-call  process, citing that the child could have been harmed or faced danger.

Whistle blowers have since called on MEC for Social Development (DSD), Jaco Londt to take responsibility of his department after the child ran away last week.

The guardian said the child, who is his nephew and the son of his drug-addicted sister, remains “missing” after being sighted in Delft after allegedly visiting his father’s home who is also an apparent gang member.

The boy, who cannot be identified, and who has been experimenting with drugs such as dagga, was admitted to the facility, The Homestead Projects for Children- Child and Youth Care Centre in Khayelitsha nearly two weeks ago.

He ran away just days after being booked into the centre following an order from the court.

The DSD has since admitted that the child left the facility but said it could not discuss the matter, detailing that the facility was not a secure centre.

“The Department can confirm that a child absconded from the facility, and the matter was reported to DSD,” DSD said in its response to Cape Argus.

“We cannot comment on any further details related to this case.

“Homestead is a residential community-based, registered child and youth care centre, managed by an “NGO.

“It caters to children placed in terms of the Children’s Act. (It is not a secure care centre, which caters to children placed via the Child Justice Act.)

“Verification of residents are done against a register, twice daily.’

During an interview with the Cape Argus, the guardian said he was not contacted by the centre when the child vanished and tells of his plight to provide him with  a stable home environment.

He has been caring for the boy since his grandparents died a few years ago and explains that his sister remains addicted to drugs

He said the child had begun playing truant from school, having to repeat a grade and that he learnt that he was smoking dagga.

“I called the centre and they confirmed that he was not there, because it was people in the community who informed me that he was seen in the area and was apparently at his father’s home at 7am,” he said.

“My question is if he came at 7am, when did they register and why did no-one call me?

“The distance between Khayelitsha and Delft is very far, what if something had to happen to him.

“If he came back at 7am, when did they do the register?

He said he managed to re-register the child at another primary school at the start of the school year and that his rebelliousness has become out of hand, leaving the responsibility to the state and even the child’s parents.

“I started raising him in my twenties, I did what I could to give him a life, an education, but what more can I do,” he said.

Activist and whistle blower, Zona Morton questioned  why protocol was not followed: Minister Jaco Londt must start taking responsibility for his various Departments in Social Development.

"Who failed this 11 year old child who was in urgent need of protection? Why are there Policies at CYCC's that are not enforced or overseen by the appointed HOD?

"Placement at Homestead was through a Court Order and I do not see any urgency in locating a vulnerable 11 year old who " escaped " from a Facility who was instructed by a Magistrate to ensure his safety. 

"It illustrates the lack of passionate involvement and demonstrates that there needs to be urgent intervention and audits of the CYCCs in the Western Cape.”

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Cape Argus