Bonnytoun abscondment: MEC visits injured CYCC staff

Today, Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Adv. Albert Fritz, visited one of the injured officials from the Bonnytoun Secure Care Centre.

Bonnytoun is a Child & Youth Care Centre (CYCC) established under the Children’s Act of 2005 and the Child Justice Act of 2008. The CYCC is operated by the Department of Social Development (DSD).

The visit comes after two of our care staff at the Bonnytoun CYCC sustained injuries when a group of 31 boys at the CYCC assaulted and over-powered them, in a bid to abscond.

MEC Fritz took this morning to personally check on the colleagues, by calling the one colleague who is recovering at home and by visiting the other in hospital. We continue to wish them well with their recovery.

Although operations at the Bonnytoun Secure Care Centre have returned to normal, 3 boys remain unaccounted for, with the South African Police Services (SAPS) leading the investigation into their whereabouts.

DSD has allocated R284-million this financial year to fund a growing network of 61 CYCCs across the province operated by the Department and our NGO partners. We have implemented norms & standards for all facilities, and therapeutic programmes are rendered to sentenced children with severe behaviour problems. These children, and the therapeutic and counselling services provided to them, are distinctly separate to children placed at facilities due to being deemed at-risk children.

The Department would like to thank the SAPS and parents of the boys who have worked tirelessly to assist in returning 28 boys who had also absconded. We trust that the remaining 3 will be found, and returned safely soon.

Members of the public who have information on the whereabouts of the 3 remaining boys who absconded, can contact the Kraaifontein SAPS on 021 980 5500 or 10111, or the DSD hotline on 0800 220 250.