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The Citizen
19-06-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Community solidarity in full display at Jona Vaughan Home [Pics]
THE Jona Vaughan Home for the Handicapped in Amanzimtoti has enjoyed a facelift and received help for its water and electricity woes after the community took time on June 7 to sweep, mop, mow, and repair the home. Charmaine Maas of the Jona Vaughan Parents Association said the community, organisations and companies pledged their time, energy and resources to brighten up the home. Also read: Jona Vaughan's closure rumours denied despite hardships 'We put out an appeal to the community through our Friends of Jona Vaughan Facebook page. We had volunteers come in, we had churches and a rehabilitation centre approach us to assist, as well as several companies who have brought in generators to keep us up and running and Jojo tanks to keep our residents hydrated and hygienic. Everyone that attended has given up their time to do electrical work, maintenance, plumbing, cleaning and so on. Today was basically a voluntary work party to get everything cleaned out and tidy,' said Maas. The gutters were cleaned, the grass was cut, and debris was removed. Each of the cottages and bathrooms was high-pressure washed and sterilised while broken wheelchairs and walkers were repaired, laundry was done, and chemical supplies were restocked. Youth in attendance entertained the residents while they waited to get back to their rooms. 'We did our best to bring the home back to its former glory, and to make things more comfortable and homey for the residents,' she added. René Matthews, of the Kingsburgh Lions Club, along with her team, were among the many who put in the time and effort at the home. She painted a picture of the way the home appeared, 'The home looked abandoned and it was very sad to see the place looking chaotic all over, inside and out. There did not appear to be any maintenance done for a long time. In the linen room, you could not see the floor as bin bags and boxes were piled up, without any systems in place to maintain order. It begs the question what staff members, some of whom worked there for over a decade, are doing that the place looks so dirty and neglected.' On June 3, Maas said that the municipality cut the electricity supply as the electricity bill is in deficit of R4.4m and Durban and Coastal Mental Health, the body under which the Jona Vaughan Home operates, do not have the funds to pay the bill. 'They came to cut the water on June 7, but we managed to persuade them to give us some grace, but again, there is no money to pay the water bill. The community have stepped in to give us some generators so that we can have power for around four hours a day. This means that we can't keep any food on site and the medication that needs to be stored in the cold rooms and in the fridges can't be stored appropriately. People from around the neighbourhood are assisting us in storing the food. So that is a health hazard for the residents. Another hazard comes in the form of lacking electricity. With no lights, the residents can fall and get injured. We can't bathe them with hot water as well, which is worrisome for their hygiene.' How you can help: With the home in desperate need of funding, and the subsidies Durban and Coastal Mental Health receives from government not being enough to sustain the home, there is a shortfall every month. You can donate to the organisation's back-a-buddy with the following link: Alternatively, donate to: Jona Vaughan Parents Association Bank Name: Nedbank Branch Code: 130826 Account number: 1304130959 Consider donating the following food items: Minced meat (x2 5kg packs) Jungle Oats (8kg bag) Bread (residents need 22 loaves a day) Macaroni (14kg) Dhall (10kg) Lentils (10kg) Soya mince (x10 400g packs without chillies) Smaller quantities are more than welcomed as well, as any contribution will make a world of difference in the lives of the residents. For more South Coast Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox. Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
29-05-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Jona Vaughan's closure rumours denied despite hardships
AFTER rumours that the Jona Vaughan Home for the Handicapped in Amanzimtoti might be closed down and its residents transferred to other facilities, the home's parents' association said it fears another Life Esidimeni tragedy might unfold if that is allowed to happen. Also read: Grim festive season for Jona Vaughan staff The Life Esidimeni tragedy involved the deaths of 144 patients at psychiatric facilities in Gauteng from causes including starvation and neglect. The patients died after they were removed from Life Esidimeni, a private healthcare provider, in 2016, and relocated to cheaper care centres. The Jona Vaughan Home for the Handicapped is a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing care and residency to 69 handicapped persons, 40% of whom are abandoned or orphaned. The centre is administered by Durban and Coastal Mental Health (DCMH), which in turn is funded by the Department of Health and the Department of Social Development. The treasurer of the parents' association, Charmaine Lombard, said she heard from two sources that the Department of Health may consider withdrawing all funding from the end of June. 'There is no other facility like Jona Vaughan to cater for such profound disabilities. If Jona Vaughan were to close its doors, the residents would be moved to facilities outside of Durban. This would be detrimental to our residents as the Jona Vaughan Home is the only home that many of the residents know,' said Lombard. The funding that the facility receives from DCMH is never enough to cover all its day-to-day operating costs, which has led the parents' association to spearhead several fundraising initiatives. Lombard said the staff, whom many of the centre's residents regard as their parents, have not been paid in full since April. The water and electricity bill stands at R1.8 million, and the municipality has issued a notice to disconnect the supply on June 2. 'We feel that these issues are serious and critical and require a long-standing resolution, as we are the voices of the very people who deserve to be treated with care, dignity, kindness and respect. Just because the residents are mentally and physically challenged does not exclude them from the basic human rights they are entitled to,' she said. DCMH's CEO, Mbonisi Sibisi, stated that there have been no discussions regarding the closure of Jona Vaughn; however, an agreement between DCMH and DOH is set to expire in March 2026. 'DCMH has consistent meetings with DOH where we discuss the performance of the centre and other related issues. Our organisation is an NPO and largely depends on subsidies and donations. The subsidy only covers a fraction of the centre's costs,' said Sibisi. He also urged the public to keep supporting Jona Vaughan. How to help: A Back-a-buddy campaign to raise funds for Jona Vaughan Home for the Handicapped has been started. Go to to donate. The home is also hosting a work party on June 7, from 08:00, open to the public who may wish to assist. For more South Coast Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox. Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
