WC Social Development to conduct audit of Amy Foundation

The Western Cape Social Development Department says it will conduct a monitoring and evaluation exercise at the offices of the Amy Foundation in Cape Town. This follows reports that the organisation closed its offices on Tuesday under suspicious circumstances.

A number of workers are also facing retrenchments due to scaling down of operations on the Cape Flats.

Managing director Kevin Chaplin of the Amy Foundation says they’ve been forced to cut down on their programmes due to financial constraints. The department also suspended its funding to the organisation due to non-compliance with the terms of their contract.

Department spokesperson Cayla Murray says they want to establish whether or not money has been misused.

“We have further been informed that the NGOs information technology systems have all been shut down and that its managing director, Mr Kevin Chaplin, has left for the UK on 20 November, whilst the Foundation’s employees protested at the airport.  The staff allege that the Amy Foundation has been carrying out retrenchments following the closure of its after-care services in Gugulethu, and are complaining of workplace harassment and alleged financial mismanagement of the Foundation.”

The Foundation’s head office has been temporarily closed amid a financial crisis. The organisation currently helps about 2 000 youngsters daily in vulnerable communities.