The Limpopo Social Development Department says it had a smooth transition in handing over the administration functions of Early Childhood Development Centres (ECD), to the provincial Education Department.
MEC Nkakareng Rakgoale briefed the legislature’s joint sitting of the committees on Social Development and Education in Polokwane.
The move came into effect on the 1st of April, following the pronouncement made by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the 2019 State of the Nation Address, that the responsibility for Early Childhood Development centres will be migrated to the Basic Education Department.
Rakgoale says she is satisfied so far about the process.
“This is just the process starting, and you will agree with me that any transition has got its own challenges and is still going to take time. Perhaps we might even give it five years or more until you can say everything has been done.”
Meanwhile, Provincial Education MEC Polly Boshielo says they have received an additional R463 million budget which was moved from Social Development Department meant for ECD centres.
Boshielo also says that 78 officials have been moved to her department this month.
“What we’re getting from social development is what they have in their own system, in terms of staff that are there, and also getting information in terms of NPOs that they are supporting. And also, they transferred the goods and services and operational budget. So, because it’s a new process, as we go on, we’ll be learning and understanding some of the challenges that are there.”
Eastern Cape
In the Eastern Cape , the process to transfer the functions of the ECD programme to the Department of Social Development got under way in November last year.
A stakeholder engagement between the national and provincial departments in the province was held as part of the transfer process.
More details of that transfer process from in report below:
