The recent sexual assault of a 13-year-old boy at a church shelter in the Limpopo border town of Musina is a stark reminder of the systemic vulnerabilities that place children at risk.
Police arrested a 24-year-old woman on a rape charge, and further investigations are ongoing. The caretaker at the shelter where the incident happened wouldn’t speak to Health-e News, but sources in the community said that the woman and the boy were living at the shelter.
“There are basic safeguards that must be followed, such as separate sleeping areas, background checks on staff, and constant supervision,” says Fatima Mamod from the National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA). “But most shelters across South Africa provide their services under severe resource constraints.”
Joshua Kwapa, from the Limpopo Department of Social Development (DSD), confirmed that the DSD was aware of the case and had already dispatched a team to investigate.
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“The safety and security in all our centres is a major priority for us, and we ensure that our users are accommodated in safe environments where nothing compromises their safety. We are happy that the perpetrator has been apprehended,” he says.
“This incident raised safety concerns across all our centres. But we would like to assure the public that we are taking all necessary measures to ensure a safe environment.”
Need for safeguards
Jacob Matakanye, who runs a shelter for unaccompanied minors in Musina, says many shelters lack funding to build more rooms to accommodate people of different statuses. In many cases, shelters operate without social workers, making it difficult for shelters to determine what is required of different people staying in the shelters.
Shelters have an obligation to care for homeless minors and elders. However, to fulfil this mandate effectively, they need buy-in from both the police and the DSD.
“Police or DSD bring homeless people to the shelters, and we welcome them. But we do not have the expertise to assess the mental health or background of the people being brought in,” he explains.
“Often, we only become aware of someone’s condition after an incident has already occurred. It’s an unfortunate situation. We cannot refuse to accept the homeless – that is our mandate – but we urge the stakeholders to inform us about the well-being of those they are referring to the shelter,” says Matakanye.
According to Matakanye, the earlier shelters are made aware of the condition of homeless individuals, the better the shelter management will be able to effectively handle the situation.
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“We are not experts in this area, and that’s where the problem starts. We lack the resources to address all the needs of the people coming to the shelter. We also don’t have specialists who can properly assess individuals brought in by the police or other stakeholders. This is a significant challenge.”
Matakanye expressed his appreciation that the DSD has now deployed social workers to work permanently at some of the shelters. “This is welcomed, as social workers are an integral part of the shelter’s operations,” he said.
Calls for stronger oversight
NSMSA believes the Musina case highlights the urgent need for collaboration between government and shelter operators to ensure the safety of residents.
Mamod says the DSD must act decisively by enforcing licensing and inspections, publishing compliance data, and, critically, providing the financial and technical support that shelters urgently need. – Health-e News
