Fresh blow to vulnerable neurodiverse kids in battle with Joburg, Gauteng over unpaid bills
The Gauteng government and City of Joburg’s neglect of vulnerable, disabled and neurodiverse children has left NGOs to pick up the pieces of a once-thriving community of care at the Children’s Memorial Institute.
The City of Johannesburg has once more sent termination notices to the Children’s Memorial Institute (CMI) for unpaid electricity and water bills. At a recent meeting with city treasury officials, the CMI board was subjected to harsh criticism for not paying their bills, despite the organization's repeated requests for account information and individual meters.
The CMI, established in 2013, oversees the original Transvaal Memorial Institute hospital and a 1960s extension, which also houses the Gauteng Department of Health's laundry service for five hospitals and 13 clinics. The institute is home to the Johannesburg School 4 Autism, which accommodates over 365 autistic learners and is supported by more than 22 NGOs dedicated to the well-being of special needs children.
Despite the CMI's efforts to address the utility issues, the Gauteng Department of Education now claims they no longer recognize the CMI's authority as building managers due to a lack of a lease agreement with the Department of Infrastructure and Development.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
