Gauteng Social Development warns against unregistered NPOs

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Kingdom Life, which is situated in Saulsville, Pretoria, is an NPO that renders services to children and operates as a child youth care centre (CYCC).

The Children’s Act defines CYCC as a facility that provides residential care to more than six children outside the child’s family environment in accordance with the residential care programme suited for the children in the facility. Nkabinde-Khawe said the Kingdom Life was found to be non-compliant, as it contravened the NPO Act and the Children’s Act.

“Any organisation providing service to children should be registered according to the Children’s Act, guided by specific norms and standards,” Nkabinde-Khawe said.

According to the department, Kingdom Life has an unconstitutional board; mismanaged funds as the board failed to account for funds; the facility does not meet registration requirements as prescribed by the NPO Act and Children’s Act; and a Kingdom Life social worker violated the Children’s Act 38 of 2005, amongst others.

“As Gauteng Social Development, it is in the best interest of the children to be removed from this facility and the movement will be done through the court as these children were placed through court orders.

“The department will continue to assist the organisation to be registered for compliance, however we cannot keep children in the centre that is contravening the laws of the country and put children at risk,” Nkabinde-Khawe said.