Mahikeng – Ipeleng Bagodi – a Jericho-based old age home – has been shut down by authorities for failing to comply with minimum standards and operating without a licence.
Social Development MEC in the North West, Sussana Dantjie, has ordered the management of Ipeleng Bagodi old age home to close down after they operated without a licence.
On Tuesday, MEC Dantjie convened a meeting with the management of the centre, board members and the traditional leadership to inform them of her decision to close down the facility pending thorough consultation with individual families of the elderly people who are being accommodated at the facility.
“After reaching consensus with the affected individual families, Dantjie said the current residents of the home will be moved to other suitable facilities,” said the North West Department of Social Development on Wednesday.
“During a meeting, which lasted for two hours, the community members, including traditional leadership, unanimously agreed with the decision to close the facility while sorting out the outstanding issues to satisfy the prescribed requirements for operating an old age home.”
The decision to close the home comes after two elderly men killed a fellow resident.
The pair were arrested and later died in prison.
“We will visit all the affected families to inform them about our decision to close the facility,” MEC Dantjie said.
“We will also present to them alternative old age homes which are funded by the state so that they make a choice on their own.
“We cannot fold our arms when the NPO Act and Older Persons Act are violated.
“We are the custodians of these acts.”
Dantjie added that her department will give the centre manager ample time to address compliance matters at the facility and to apply for an operating licence.
Dantjie said the violent incident that took place at the facility was an eye-opener that prompted her department to check the registration status of the organisation.
The department said it was also checking the credentials of other similar non-profit organisations in every ward and every district in the North West.
