NW MEC to visit old age home at centre of murder, rape claims
The North West MEC for Social Development is expected to visit an old age home following the killing of an elderly resident, and allegations of rape at the facility.
On Monday, the Department of Social Development in the North West confirmed that Ipeleng Bagodi old age home, a non-profit organisation, is not legally registered.
The old age home made headlines in June when two elderly residents, aged 75 and 92, were arrested for the alleged murder of Godfrey Motsepe Thema.
The accused, Jeremiah Mmatli and Daniel Madumo, subsequently died while in custody, and the case against them was withdrawn after their death certificates were submitted to the court.
At the same time, North West police confirmed that a suspect, who is in his late 50s, was arrested and appeared in the Brits Magistrate’s Court on two counts of rape in February.
READ: Old age home of horror: Claims of rape, assaults at NW centre
The accused is expected to return to court in August after the matter was postponed for further investigation.
North West Social Development spokesperson Petrus Siko confirmed plans to relocate the centre’s residents to other registered facilities in the province after the old age home was ordered to shut its doors.
“We are in the process of closing this facility and removing all the elderly people to an alternative old age home in the province that is fully registered," he said.
READ MORE: NW old age home facing murder, rape claims not registered – govt
Ahead of her visit to the facility on Tuesday, newly appointed MEC Sussana Dantjie has called on community members to refrain from using the services of unregistered old age homes.
According to the department the centre has not received any funding due to its non-compliance with the Non-Profit Organisations Act.
“Ipeleng Bagodi is not a fully registered old age home. It does not have an operating license. That is why it’s not receiving any funding from the department of social development in the North West,” said Siko.
Meanwhile, Jacaranda FM News was reliably informed that, during a meeting to inform them about the imminent closure of the home, some families objected over concerns about where the elderly people would go if they were to be relocated.
MEC Dantjie, along with the local councillor, and the department’s management, are expected to meet with the facility manager to discuss a way forward.
According to the Older Person’s Act anyone seeking to operate a residential facility for the elderly must apply to the minister of social development, making the approval for registration of an old age home a competency of the national office.
It’s unclear if the MEC and provincial officials have engaged the national office prior to Tuesday’s visit.
