SOS FIRES 3 CAREGIVERS FOR ‘ABUSE’ OF CHILDREN

LUKHULA – SOS Children’s Village (Siteki) has dismissed three caregivers for alleged emotional abuse of children, among other charges.

The workers were officially dismissed from the organisation in July this year after a disciplinary inquiry found them guilty on three charges; abuse (emotional), negligence and dishonesty. Before that, the caregivers were suspended pending the finalisation of the disciplinary process. “This letter serves to inform you that...your contract with SOS Children’s Villages Swaziland is terminated...you shall be paid all monies due to you in the July payroll for the month of July 2018 only,” reads in part one of the dismissal letters.

In the dismissal letters, which were signed by SOS Swaziland National Director Loretta Mkhonta, the workers were given 72 hours to return all properties and materials of the organisation to the Siteki (SOS) human resources administrator. “Failure to return such property shall result in legal action against you,” reads the letter in part. According to one of the workers, they were suspended in May this year and subsequently slapped with three charges. “We were accused of misusing the E5 000 monthly budget we were given to take care of the children,” disclosed one of the caregivers. The primary duties of the caregivers were to look after the children; buy them food, clothing, toiletries and other basic amenities, and the monthly budget allows them to fulfill their duties.

“The supervisor felt that we were not adequately providing the children with what they needed, hence we were accused of misusing the money,” said the caregiver.
In some instances, the supervisor would visit the residences within the village, where the caregivers lived with the children and would express dissatisfaction with the quantity of the items bought every month, one of the caregivers revealed. In the count of dishonesty, the caregiver revealed that they were accused of being dishonest with how they spent the monthly budget. In the count of negligence, she said they were accused of negligence in that they allegedly neglected the needs of the children and in the count of abuse, she mentioned that they were accused of emotionally abusing the children by not providing them with their basic needs.

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