JOHANNESBURG - A power cut is threatening the ability of NGOs to care for Gauteng’s most vulnerable children.
The Children’s Memorial Institute, home to over 20 organisations -- including Childline South Africa -- has been without electricity for a week.
The historical site also includes an autism school run by the Department of Education, a dental clinic and a laundry operated by the Gauteng Health Department.
As the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children kicks off, the support centres say they’re operating in the dark -- figuratively and literally.
"It has compromised our services. Over this weekend, we have only been able to take a quarter of the calls we take," said Childline South Africa's Sandy Mahapi.
"The normal number would be up to 700 calls a day. And we’ve just been able to take a quarter of those calls. It’s been a struggle."
Childline’s 24-hour hotline is one of many critical services housed at the Children’s Memorial Institute in Johannesburg.
City Power says the facility owes over R41-million for rates, electricity and water.
But the NGOs say that the debt is not theirs. They say the Gauteng Health Department has been managing the debt.
- eNCA’s Nabeelah Shaikh reports.