February 17 2017 – THE Johannesburg Department of Social Development will be providing alternative places of safety for minors or patients that need rehabilitation as part of the social benefits offering, following the crackdown by the City recently on brothels and drug lords in Rosettenville.
“The Department addressed issues relating to migrants in the community and the community of Rosettenville has a large number of migrants, Some are documented and others are not,” says MMC health and social development spokesperson Mpho Phalatse.
Phalatse says because the Department of Home Affairs’ Immigration Office was not there during the raids and a lack of clear direction from them on the management of illegal immigrants, Social Development officials advised undocumented migrants to get help at the Marabastad Refugee Reception Centre for documentation.
Those who had documentation were informed about services provided through our Migrant Help Desk in the Inner City.
“The social workers were able to identify and profile 32 drug hotspots and the team will analyse these profiles and design an appropriate action plan which may possibly include the establishment of a community Anti-Drug coalition in partnership with the South African National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependency (SANCA),” Phalatse said.
“[Local Drug Action Committees] LDACs consist of various stakeholders and work towards effecting the National Drug Masters Plan. All this will ensure that communities are capacitated to conduct research for community diagnosis as well as craft interventions based on their findings. CADCA will provide training whist SANCA works with the City of Joburg for continued technical support.”
The role of the Social Development Department was to assess and remove trafficked commercial sex workers, especially young girls, who were reported to be in brothels.
The team came across prostitutes who were interviewed and assessed by social workers to determine their needs.
“All but two refused our services, indicating that they were content with working as prostitutes and claimed to have places where they pay rent. They alleged that they were able to take care of themselves and their families with the income they earn from this trade.”
The department will follow up on individuals who were willing to be assisted and provide the necessary services they required to implement Integrated Substance Abuse Management and Moral Regeneration programmes. – ANA
On February 8, the department accompanied Mayor Herman Mashaba to Rosettenville as part of the specialised task team which raided the area with the Johannesburg Metro Police Department after residents protested about alleged drug dens and prostitution in the area,
