Media Advisory
25 October 2020
DEPUTY MINISTER FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT VIRTUALLY HANDS OVER EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTRES IN GAUTENG
The Deputy Minister for Social Development, Ms. Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu will virtually handover 6 Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres to communities in the Gauteng Province on Monday October 26.
The NLC funded ECD centres to be handed over by the Deputy Minister are part of the NLC’s infrastructure legacy project, which to date has benefitted a total of 203 organisations. The Gauteng Province is the final Province to benefit from this legacy project.
This funding is symbolic of the NLC’s commitment to investing in programmes that change the trajectory of the lives of South African children, particularly those from poor communities.
Early Childhood Development was declared a public good thus prioritising its expansion to all children as part of Government’s first 1000 Days Campaign.
This DSD and NLC project is aimed at strengthening service delivery in ECD centres. Last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced during his State of the Nation address (SONA) that Early Childhood Development Centres will move from the Department of Social Development to the Department Basic education and the two Departments have been working together towards the realisation of the change in responsibilities.
The President also announced that it would now be compulsory for children to attend ECD for two years. He said that this is essential to equip children to succeed in education, work and in life as ECD is possibly the single most important factor in overcoming poverty, unemployment and inequality.
The Department of Social Development continues with the registration, provision and the administration of the ECD subsidy and parents are encouraged to register their children for ECD.
The month of October is Social Development month (SDM), celebrated annually to mark our nation’s commitment to caring for the most vulnerable in society. This year the theme of SDM is “Strengthening our response to recovery through DSD services”
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed realities in our country such as poverty, inequality and unemployment. The ECD sector has elevated the participation of women in the economy while it serves as child protection and poverty alleviation programme.
The virtual handover scheduled as follows:
Date: 26 Monday, October 2020
Time: 09:00
Link: https://bit.ly/31wQwD7
Members of the media can RSVP by contacting Ms Makhosazana Mavuso on 072
732 9381 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ISSUED BY NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Media enquiries may be forwarded to Ms Lumka Oliphant on 083 484 8067 or
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
