Govt to shut down Place of Safety

THE Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Welfare plans to shut down a well-known children’s home in Windhoek – the Orlindis Place of Safety – after it failed to register as a place of safety in time.

Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told the National Assembly that Government had accepted that in the light of weak or, in some cases, non-existent family support structures, it was a last resort to consider places of safety for these children. But she warned that it would clamp down on establishments which were not registered as such.Nandi-Ndaitwah was responding to queries from Congress of Democrats Rosa Namises about Government’s intentions to close down places of safety and the removal of children from these homes.Namises’ sister, Claudia, runs Orlindis.”The situation of children in need of care and protection in Namibia has increased tremendously due to social problems and HIV-AIDS.Many are left orphaned, vulnerable and in need of physical care,” Namises said.A charged-up Nandi-Ndaitwah told the House that despite requests that Orlindis be registered, it had not been done to date and that a subsidy it received from her Ministry would be stopped as of October 1.Government supports at least nine children living there.The Minister said the children would be removed to an alternative place and, where possible, an attempt would be made to re-integrate them with their families.”I want to make it clear that illegal children’s homes shall not be tolerated under the Swapo-led Government and … as long as I am Minister of Women Affairs and Child Welfare,” she said.Upon enquiry from The Namibian, Claudia Namises said she had been unable to register the institution with Government as she had been waiting for permission from the Windhoek Municipality to run the home.On Friday she said this had now been received and she had submitted the necessary documentation to the Ministry of Health and Social Services for the registration of the home.She said Orlindis was not a permanent refuge; children were only placed there while authorities investigated cases or sought permanent foster care for the children in need.Namises said children did not stay there for longer than six months.Nandi-Ndaitwah said she had ordered social workers not to place children at non-registered institutions.But she warned that it would clamp down on establishments which were not registered as such.Nandi-Ndaitwah was responding to queries from Congress of Democrats Rosa Namises about Government’s intentions to close down places of safety and the removal of children from these homes.Namises’ sister, Claudia, runs Orlindis.”The situation of children in need of care and protection in Namibia has increased tremendously due to social problems and HIV-AIDS.Many are left orphaned, vulnerable and in need of physical care,” Namises said.A charged-up Nandi-Ndaitwah told the House that despite requests that Orlindis be registered, it had not been done to date and that a subsidy it received from her Ministry would be stopped as of October 1.Government supports at least nine children living there.The Minister said the children would be removed to an alternative place and, where possible, an attempt would be made to re-integrate them with their families.”I want to make it clear that illegal children’s homes shall not be tolerated under the Swapo-led Government and … as long as I am Minister of Women Affairs and Child Welfare,” she said.Upon enquiry from The Namibian, Claudia Namises said she had been unable to register the institution with Government as she had been waiting for permission from the Windhoek Municipality to run the home.On Friday she said this had now been received and she had submitted the necessary documentation to the Ministry of Health and Social Services for the registration of the home.She said Orlindis was not a permanent refuge; children were only placed there while authorities investigated cases or sought permanent foster care for the children in need.Namises said children did not stay there for longer than six months.Nandi-Ndaitwah said she had ordered social workers not to place children at non-registered institutions.