The Free State Department of Social Development has appointed 83 social workers, reducing the shortage the province was faced with. The group has been appointed permanently.
These social workers form a cohort that was appointed on contract to serve the department in all five districts. They have been serving the department on contract basis since their appointment in 2020 as part of Covid-19 pandemic.
Thabo Meeko, acting MEC for Social Development, explained the importance of appointing these social workers aimed at building capacity within the department to ensure adequate services are being rendered in vulnerable communities of the province.
According to Meeko, the appointment of the social workers will improve the delivery of services in partnership with civil society organisations.
“This will assist the department in fighting the scourge of social ills plaquing individuals, families, and communities,” said Meeko.
He said the department, working together with non-profit organisations rendering social services, have in place prevention and intervention programmes for improvement of social services and the betterment of the community.
The Free State reportedly had, for eight years, at least 101 vacant positions.
This came to light in November last year during a meeting by the Portfolio Committee on Social Development and debate by Bridget Masango, DA shadow minister of Social Development.
The limited budget was cited as one of the main reasons the provincial department had been unable to appoint social workers. The budget of the department had been decreased by more than R77 million.
The Portfolio Committee on Social Development convened to address issues raised in a petition submitted by unemployed social workers.
The petition highlighted the shortage of qualified social workers in the country, with over 9 000 vacant positions within the Department of Social Development.
The Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, revealed that 700 social workers had registered with the department after the initiation of the registration process for unemployed social workers to gain insights into their numbers.
