Urgent intervention needed at Jonah G. Vaughn Centre amid neglect and mismanagement allegations
A damning oversight visit has revealed shocking conditions at the Jonah G. Vaughn Centre which falls under the Durban and Coastal Mental Health (DCMH), prompting urgent calls for intervention from the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature's Health Portfolio Committee chairperson.
Health Portfolio Committee chairperson Dr Imran Keeka conducted a visit to the centre.
Keeka said the facility, which provides care for individuals with mental health challenges, was found to be without electricity, leaving users to bathe in cold water despite the plummeting temperatures in KwaZulu-Natal.
There was reportedly no food available except for a donation received on the day of the visit, while staff told officials that nearly all residents have been losing weight and the level of care has 'rapidly deteriorated.'
Despite reported visits and interventions from the Departments of Health and Social Development, both of which fund the facility there appears to have been no lasting improvement, he said. Staff at the facility say they are receiving little to no support from their superiors.
Keeka has written an urgent letter to the MEC for Health, warning that failure to act could lead to a humanitarian disaster.
'Are they being slowly starved like those at Life Esidimeni, and are we waiting for such a situation to land on our doorstep?' he asked. 'Then we will all rush to express condolences when, instead, intervention is urgent?'
Keeka raised serious allegations in the letter, including claims of a 'don't care attitude' from the CEO and possible looting of up to R20 million from the facility. He stated that there are suspicions that both current and former board members may have used the facility's finances for personal gain.
'I write to call for your urgent interventions herein, both in terms of all powers vested in your offices as well as in those of your accounting officers,' Keeka stated. "Place an alert on the matters that I am raising herein, lest the matters spiral out of control.'
He has also called for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate the allegations.
The provincial Departments of Health and Social Development has been approached for comment on the allegations.
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The South African
4 days ago
- The South African
Death penalty for ultra-violent crimes against our children?
It's Child Protection Week. Let's talk about the death penalty. Or at least talk about holding an emergency referendum on whether South Africa should reinstate capital punishment for – if nothing else – hardcore violent and violating crimes against our children, including kidnapping and trafficking. Child Protection Week is happening at a time when the world's spotlight is once again upon us (as if we hadn't had enough by now) for all the wrong reasons – including the growing rampant scourge of violence and abuse against children (and women) in this country. In just the past month South Africa has been snowed by a spate of unspeakable violent crimes against women and children, reigniting that ancient, divisive, incendiary argument and public debate on capital punishment. And many by now are asking the big overdue question: Is it time to bring back the death penalty? Here are just a few headlines and cases of violent crimes against children in SA that have surfaced, shocked and enraged the nation – and the world – over the past few weeks alone. Last Thursday, 29 May, the Western Cape High Court sentenced Racquel 'Kelly' Smith and her two co-accused, boyfriend Jacquin 'Boeta' Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn to life imprisonment and ten additional years for kidnapping and trafficking Smith's 6-year-old daughter, Joslin. The sentencing comes after, on 2 May this year, the court found Smith guilty of selling Joslin to a sangoma (traditional healer) for R20,000 who was interested in the child's striking green eyes and fair complexion. (Ponder on that…) Joslin Smith is still missing. Of course, if by now Joslin has been (insert worst-case scenario here) Kelly Smith and her co-accused are complicit and culpable in that too. The country was still reeling from the disappearance and hunt for Joslyn when the case of Cwecwe emerged and enraged the nation. On 14 October 2024, seven-year-old 'Cwecwe' was (initially) reportedly raped at her school, Bergview College, in Matatiele, Eastern Cape, while she was waiting for her transport. Thousands of citizens and dozens of celebrities came out in support of the child. 'Justice for Cwecwe' was trending. Unfortunately, the investigation was bungled when the police authorities falsely accused the principal of the school of the crime – which led to the school being deregistered by the Eastern Cape Department of Education before an investigation was completed. AfriForum advocate Gerrie Nel, who is representing the principal of Bergview College, believed the child was raped at a party, not at the school. What's further enraged the country is the fact that the investigation into Cwecwe's case has been dropped by the National Prosecuting Authority, due to 'lack of evidence'. The NPA's announcement on 17 May that no one will be prosecuted for Cwecwe's case has been met with sharp criticism and protests from activists and the public. On the 13 May, eleven-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek went missing after he failed to return home from school. The child's scholar driver assured the family that Jayden was dropped off at the gates of his complex in Fleurhof, Johannesburg while his mother was working from home. Yet, he never made it inside. The following morning, a resident discovered his lifeless, bruised and partially undressed body on a staircase in the complex, just metres from his home. On Saturday 17 May, a large group of angry residents and community members marched to the Florida police station and handed over a memorandum of demands to officials, calling for justice and greater accountability. SAPS Gauteng has said that its investigation into Jayden-Lee's murder is at an advanced stage, though no arrests have been made. Jayden-Lee Meek was laid to rest at Westpark Cemetery on Saturday 24 May 2025. Last Saturday, 31 May, 14-year-old grade 8 pupil Likhona Fose went missing from her home in Braamfischerville, Johannesburg where she lived with her grandmother. The next day, her mutilated body was discovered by a passerby in the veld at Durban Deep, Roodepoort. Gauteng MEC Matome Chiloane dispatched trauma counsellors to Ikusasalethu, the secondary school Likhona attended. The MEC said police are 'still investigating the circumstances surrounding this brutal incident' and extended sincerest condolences to the family and the school community. On Monday, 2 June, a 50-year-old sangoma and 32-year-old mother appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate's Court facing charges of premeditated murder and human trafficking of the mother's two-year-old baby, Kutlwano Shalaba. 'It is alleged that on 10 November 2024, the mother of the child (Kuneuwe Shalaba) took the child to the sangoma (Sebokoana Khounyana) and requested him to kill her child because she was not happy with the gender of the baby and was tired of hiding it from her family,' according to police. Shalaba reportedly poisoned her child to death, the two then buried her body in a shallow grave in Waterpan. The case against a 29-year-old man accused of raping and impregnating an 11-year-old girl resumed last month on 22 May in the Boksburg Magistrate's Court, drawing renewed attention to a harrowing ordeal that allegedly spanned several years. The young victim, now four months pregnant, was reportedly assaulted by the accused in December of last year. However, court proceedings revealed that the abuse may have started when the girl was just five years old, meaning the alleged crimes persisted for nearly six years before being reported. The accused is known to the victim's family, with the assaults allegedly taking place during visits to his home. DNA tests are yet to determine whether the suspect is indeed the perpetrator. A shocking incident rocked Cape Town last month where a parolee, who served time for rape, has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and raping a nine-year-old girl in Hanover Park. On 20 May 2025, the child was found in the suspect's house, during a frantic search by the community, where she is believed to have spent at least five hours. The accused is alleged to have lured the girl as she walked to her Madrasa (Islamic school) by offering her R20 to buy him milk and return the item to his house. The suspect was sentenced to 25 years in jail for rape and indecent assault in 2008 but was placed on parole in November 2024. The appalling incident has sparked fury among locals, who are demanding answers from authorities as to why a known predator was allowed back on their streets. Heard enough…? Because, plenty more where that came from. That's just tip of the insidious iceberg, folks. And that's just the kids. In an article in IOL yesterday, 2 June, responding to the murders of Likhona Fose and adult victim Olerato Mongale, Jonisayi Maromo wrote; 'South Africa is a dangerous place for women and girls'. Duh, ya think! He quoted the secretary-general of civil rights group #NotInMyName, Themba Masango, who said: 'The murders of Olerato and Likhona are yet another painful reminder that South Africa remains one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman (or child). How many more must die before we collectively say: Enough is enough?' Responding to the conviction of Kelly Smith in an interview with SABC News , Refilwe Mokoena (child safety and protection manager) from the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund said: 'From our perspective, justice has been served, the perpetrators have been held accountable. But children are still so vulnerable in our society and we need further preventative efforts to protect them.' The interviewer then asked: 'Can we really say that justice has been served in this regard when it comes to child safety?' 'A strong message has been sent that crimes against children will not go unpunished. But there are so many incidents similar to Joslin's that don't receive this level of national visibility. For every Joslin, there are millions of others we don't even get to know about,' Mokoena answered. (Did you catch that? She said…'millions'. If she's right, if she's not grossly exaggerating…then we have a BIG fu****? problem, don'tcha think?) 'Children basically are not safe in our country,' Mokoena added. Security analyst Neil de Beer takes a slightly more radical position on how the Smith trial should've ended. In an interview with BizNews TV , former MK agent and security advisor to Nelson Mandela, De Beer (who was also peripherally involved in the police manhunt for Joslin) told journo, Chris Steyn: 'What those people did to that child…if I was a judge I would unequivocally sentence them to hang.' Visibly quivering with rage, De Beer's eyes reddened as he teared and choked up when he said: 'A child. A beautiful little girl…was sold. You took that little girl's life, you should pay for it with your life.' 'But in this country, you don't serve life,' he said. 'In this country, if you murder, you are out in 12. You are out in eight.' 'I'm telling you, if you had a referendum on Monday, to bring back the death penalty, you're going to get an 80% majority.' De Beer's not the only public figure calling for a return to capital punishment. Over the years, leader of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), Gayton McKenzie, has repeatedly called for the return of the death penalty to deal with the high level of violent crime in the country. Back in June 2023, during an interview on The Black Pen podcast, McKenzie said: 'The state must have the right to kill. People argue that the death penalty is not a deterrent. I was a criminal, and I am telling you the death penalty is a deterrent.' He said that having been a gangster, he had learnt that taking out the leader of the gang was enough to stop gang wars. On 17 May this year, McKenzie, who also serves as minister of Sport, Arts and Culture in the Government of National Unity (GNU), reiterated his position on the death penalty during the launch of the PA's municipal election campaign at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Addressing a crowd of thousands of supporters with a fiery, impassioned speech, McKenzie emphasised the need for harsher punishments to combat the rising crime rates in South Africa. 'Let us bring back the death penalty. If you kill, we must kill you,' he said. In an interview with CNN's Larry King in September 2009, Judge Judy Sheindlin was asked about her thoughts on the application of the death penalty. 'In a clear-cut case, where there is no issue as to whether or not, this was the perpetrator of this atrocity…I believe in my soul that it should be an option,' Sheindlin said. Then King asked the judge: 'Could you sentence someone to death?' She paused, before replying: 'Yes, I could. If…there was no question in my mind that this was the perpetrator…' King interjected: 'You could send him to his death?' Sheindlin nodded confidently and said: 'I could say…'Arrivederci' [Italian for 'Goodbye'].' 'There are certain people who – despite our best efforts and all of God's good work – are wired wrong. You gotta either kill 'em or put 'em away…so that they can't ever hurt anyone else,' she added. Must say, when it comes to hardcore violent crimes against our kids? I'm kinda leaning towards De Beer, McKenzie and Judge Judy on this one. Maybe it is time for a long-overdue, urgent, national referendum on capital punishment for violent crimes against minors? Never mind the special task force investigating 'offensive' social media posts and misgendering online, let's get our priorities straight… In my perfect world, the kids would be a sacred and untouchable red line. A world where our women and children could walk down the street, in the middle of the night – bu**-naked if they so choose – and no one will harm them. Because no one would dare. If we can unite the whole nation so easily behind a football or rugby tournament, why can't we unite the country behind this one simple idea: protect the children, at all costs. Whatever threatens the kids…must be eliminated. And maybe reinstating capital punishment is the only way to end the scourge of violence against minors in this country and restore some sense of safety, security and normalcy in our society, where, as Roger Waters once dreamed… 'Everyone has recourse to the law… and no one kills the children anymore.' Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
5 days ago
- The Citizen
Mediclinic's employees' data compromised. Investigations underway
The information reportedly includes employees' salaries, disciplinary hearings, and others. Prominent hospital group Mediclinic is investigating a cyberattack that exposed the personal information of its employees. The information reportedly includes employees' salaries, disciplinary hearings, and others. Mediclinic currently operates 50 hospitals, 15 day clinics, five sub-acute and six mental health facilities throughout South Africa, as well as three private hospitals in Namibia, with more than 8 945 beds. Mediclinic Investigates The private hospital group confirmed to The Citizen that its third-party IT service provider experienced a cybersecurity incident. 'Upon learning of this incident, Mediclinic engaged the third-party IT service provider, who reported that it immediately took steps to ensure the containment of the incident, including immediately isolating the affected system, resetting access credentials, and working with external specialists in an incident response investigation.' After following certain procedures, it was determined that the data impacted is limited to employment-related data. The hospital has taken appropriate steps to contact those whose data they believe may have been impacted by the incident, in accordance with data protection guidelines. ALSO READ: Cybersecurity breach costs Astral R20 million in profit No patient data stolen at Mediclinic Mediclinic stated that it is confident no patient data has been compromised, and it did not experience any disruption to its business operations. 'Since the incident, we have and continue to implement further measures to enhance security safeguards in relation to our third-party vendors. 'Mediclinic reported the incident to the appropriate regulators in each of our operating markets, and we continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities as needed.' Other cyberattacks MyBroadband reported that the group responsible for the cyberattack is Everest Group. The group has launched cyberattacks in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America. It reportedly launched a cyberattack against Coca-Cola, during which it stole records associated with hundreds of employees, including their personally identifiable information (PII), such as names and addresses, salary records, and scans of passports and visas. NOW READ: AI job takeover begins: Mediclinic replaces admin staff to save R2 billion
The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
What happened to the maternal love?
On May 11th, South Africa took a moment to celebrate and remember mothers, acknowledging the comfort, care, and boundless love that mothers embody. Those fortunate enough to have experienced this special maternal love should indeed treasure those memories. However, the recent news surrounding two deeply disturbing cases stands in stark contrast to this sentiment. A six-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy became victims in profoundly troubling ways. Keneilwe Shalaba, the mother of the two-year-old, Kutlwano, appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate's Court this week, accused of selling her son for R75 000. Tragically, Kutlwano, who had been missing since November of last year despite extensive searches, was found dead last week. A traditional healer is also expected to be implicated in this heartbreaking case. Adding to this sorrow is the case of six-year-old Joshlin Smith, who disappeared from her Saldanha Bay home on February 19, 2024. The court revealed that Joshlin was reportedly sold for R20 000. Her mother, Racquel ''Kelly'' Smith, along with her boyfriend and a family acquaintance, were found guilty in the Western Cape High Court and received life sentences. While justice may have been served in this instance, Joshlin herself remains missing. These cases, along with the countless others where children have suffered such fates at the hands of their mothers, are deeply distressing. While some commentators attribute these acts to poverty, it's important to remember the countless mothers who make immense sacrifices to provide for their children, working tirelessly in difficult conditions to ensure their well-being. We heard stories of mothers who sell toasted corn by the street corner to support their kids; and mothers walk the streets in the blazing sun, selling tripe, just to make sure that their children don't go to bed on an empty stomach. Ultimately, it seems that greed, with money as the driving force, lies at the heart of these unthinkable crimes.
