Cape Town - An after-school care facility in Bonteheuwel has slammed the City of Cape Town for changing its time slot at the Bluegum Community Centre, saying the decision will be detrimental for those children and parents who rely on the service.
Youth-based non-profit organisation Scouts for Kids has been running the programme from 3pm to 5pm at the centre for the past three years.
The centre is also leased to Tiny Tots Educare from 7am to 5pm.
According to its CEO, Warren October, they received an email from the City a week ago, citing safety concerns regarding younger children at the crèche.
“I just got an email that said the after-school programme should stop due to the safety of the crèche children. We also work with children, so how can they be harmful to those kids?” October said.
Scouts for Kids provides children with a variety of interactive programmes such as table tennis and netball, as well as using their time to do homework.
They have now been offered a slot from 5pm to 7pm, but the NPO is against the move.
“They took that away from our kids. Tell me what should our kids do there till 7pm, that time of the evening?” October said.
A representative from the crèche said the matter was with the area manager, Carlo Benjamin. However, Benjamin didn't respond for comment at the time of going to print.
Bonteheuwel ward councillor Angus McKenzie said concerns were raised about the shared building and its ablution facilities.
He said the concerns were justified when specific instances of other children, some teenagers, made use of the same toilets as preschool children.
“This, for all intents and purposes, would be a concern for all parents, those from the ECD, as well as Scouts for Kids. Was it an oversight to have Scouts for Kids sharing the facility initially, yes, most certainly. However, based on my preliminary findings on the issue, it was assumed that Scouts for Kids actually had a structured programme, which we have not been made aware was not the case.”
City spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo said the decision to limit additional activities during the ECD’s time slot was driven by a priority to maintain a safe and secure environment for the young children at the crèche.
“Hosting other programmes at the same time could present safety risks and logistical challenges; and to maintain compliance, the City’s Law Enforcement Department collaborates with Recreation and Parks to reiterate the message on site. The City values the contributions of all community programmes, including the after-school initiative, and has ensured that the scout programme can continue in its regular time slot from 5.30pm to 7pm every Monday. This approach allows each user group exclusive use of the facility during their allocated time, ensuring both safety and uninterrupted activities for all,” said Tyhalibongo.
The time adjustment has angered some parents, who said their children’s lives would be in danger if they had to walk from the centre at 7pm. Natasha Mohammedi, whose four children attend the after-school programme, said most of the parents shared the same views.
“I feel more secure when my kids are at the community centre afterschool programme because our streets are dangerous,” she said.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za
Cape Argus