AfriForum prepares to take the Department of Social Development to court on behalf of Sunfield Home for the disabled
The civil rights organisation AfriForum is prepared to submit court documents against the Department of Social Development seeing as the department is still refusing to respond to AfriForum’s lawyer’s letter that was sent on behalf of Sunfield Home on 22 August.
AfriForum intervened after the state refused to increase the subsidy amount for Sunfield Home, a home for the physically and mentally disabled, for the past 14 years. The department threatened to displace the state-subsidised residents. AfriForum’s lawyer’s letter demanded that the department firstly reconsider and review its decision to force residents to move. And secondly, to adjust the subsidy amount of the home appropriately to an acceptable amount.
According to Brenda Gouws, the general manager of Sunfield Home, a representative of the department claimed in an interview on national television last week that they had already arranged a meeting with the home, which is false.
“Many of the residents are terrified daily about the department threatening that they will be forced out of the only home they know. We are very grateful that AfriForum is assisting us in our fight to protect our residents,” concludes Gouws.
“After AfriForum visited Sunfield Home last week, I am even more shocked that people could be so cruel as to threaten this loving home and its defenceless residents,” says Ernst van Zyl, Campaign Officer for Strategy and Content at AfriForum.
“The government has not learned anything from the Life Esidimeni tragedy which they caused through their callousness. AfriForum will do everything in its power to prevent this from happening here,” concludes Van Zyl.
AfriForum’s legal team and Sunfield Home are currently waiting for possible dates for a meeting from the Department of Social Development. If the department does not provide sufficient answers to the demands in our letter, AfriForum is ready to submit court documents and take the department to court.
