Mogale City: Frailcare centre must comply

The residents of an illegal Krugersdorp frail care centre must be relocated to more suitable facilities before it can be closed, the Mogale City municipality said on Wednesday.

Spokesman Nkosana Zali was responding to the Democratic Alliance's call for the municipality and the Gauteng health and social welfare department to close the centre, which is unlicensed.

“We are working with the provincial department of health and social welfare to finalise the La Reynette matter,” said Zali.

“The province's view is that the facility needs to be closed, but there are appeals by the institution against closure,” he said.

This appeal would be processed before the local municipality took action.

“Our co-operation with the province is not about adopting a knee-jerk approach to the non-compliance of the facility, but is based on a humane stance of seeing to it that closure of the facility includes the relocation of the residents to a more suitable area or facility,” he said.

The DA said neighbours were complaining of screaming and shouting coming from inside the frail care centre and were concerned about the safety of its elderly residents.

Zali said Mogale City assisted informal enterprises to “formalise themselves” with proper documentation.

Non-profit organisations like old age homes had to register with the provincial department.

“They need to comply with our by-laws and not be a hindrance to the social life of the people around them.”

They also had to be compliant with the Older Persons Act, he said. - Sapa