The Eastern Cape Department of Education MEC, Fundile Gade has learnt with deep sadness of the passing of a three-year-old child who drowned in a pit toilet, Thursday, April 18th , 2024, in one of the privately run Non-Profit Organisations (NPO) called Little Champions in Mdantsane Nu 6, Buffalo City Education district.

MEC said that “the loss of a life, especially at such a young age, is indeed one of the most devastating incidents, not only to the family and the centre management but the entire EC community.”

Irrespective of the fact that the child was under the management of the above-mentioned centre, the department is committed to support the parents and entire staff during this difficult time, hence the activation of its psychosocial support services to provide debriefing and counselling services to all the traumatised, from Monday, 22 April 2024.

This is meant to support the centre leadership so that they can plan their next move, going forward.

The department does play a critical role of providing funding for these institutions and focuses on three modalities namely School Nutrition, stimulation equipment for the children and payment of stipends for the employees or care givers.

The subsidies are only granted once the centre provides the department with an approval certificate from the local authorities to operate.

The department will further provide guidance to the centre to ensure that it adheres to the guidelines provided by government for the safety of children under their care at all material times and this should be coupled with capacity building of the centre management and staff in general. Critically is to avoid re-occurrence of these kinds in incidents in the future.

Issued by the Eastern Cape Department of Education Communications Directorate. For enquiries, please contact the DoE Spokesperson, Mr Malibongwe Mtima at 0620571591, Acting Head of Communications, Ms Nyameka Mgijima-Tokwe at 060 530 034