Eden Park ECD — Rundown and Abandoned
by Cllr Stefanie Ueckermann — DA Spokesperson for Health and Social Development in Ekurhuleni
Date: 28 August 2023
Release: Immediate
Type: Media statement
The Democratic Alliance in the City of Ekurhuleni has slammed the state of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) facility in Eden Park, which currently has no service level agreement in place.
Under a DA-led government, we pushed to have this facility opened as we understand the importance of these facilities in nurturing our future leaders, and our children. Unfortunately, the failing EFF/ANC coalition voted the DA out of power before this could be achieved. Disturbingly, the uncaring government of the day have still not resolved to ensure this facility opens.
Members of the DA, undertook an unannounced oversight visit to the facility on Monday 21 August 2023 with the DA PR councillor for Ward 57 Tiaan Kotze. On arrival, we were shocked to find the facility totally abandoned and not utilised at all.
Early childhood development is a mandate which falls within the scope of the city and thus the department embarked on constructing state-of-the-art ECD facilities around the city, a decision welcomed by all parties during the previous term. After completion these facilities went out on tender to be used by co-operatives operating ECDs in the immediate area surrounding the newly built facility, to reduce the number of unregistered ECD facilities by enabling the operators of said ECDs to apply for funding from the provincial department of Social Development and the department of education thus the most vulnerable children in our community will have access to high-quality education irrespective of their economic situation.
The halls of this facility were supposed to be filled with drawings and artwork, the sounds of the child were supposed to fill the air and the playground was supposed to bring joy to Eden Park little ones’ hearts, but due to the unwillingness of the department to adhere to their obligation towards our children, these halls are empty, all you hear is silence and the playground equipment has never been used by a child.
This can’t be the legacy we leave behind, we need to do better. As the DA we will be putting pressure on the department to fulfil their mandate and we will ensure this facility is utilised by those it was intended for.
Cllr Stefanie Ueckermann
DA Spokesperson for Health and Social Development in Ekurhuleni
076 541 9717
