Orphanage – from hopeless to hopeful?

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The matter was first brought to the Advertiser’s attention by a Boksburg resident raising concerns on the alleged fraudulent operations at the Home in Boksburg North.

The complainant, known to the Advertiser, was worried that donated food and clothing was not been given to the children, but was rather being sold at owner, Zandi Madlala’s four spaza shops.

Upon investigation, Zandi showed the Advertiser all the mattresses that were being kept in an outside room.

It was also alleged that Zandi owns four businesses in Boksburg North, and one pawn/furniture shop in Germiston.

This include a mini supermarket, a salon and hair accessory shop, a tailor/dressmaking business, and a cellular repair business.

Zandi denies that she has any businesses in Germiston, but confirms her other operations in Boksburg, stating that all her stock is bought from suppliers and can be accounted for.

She also showed the Advertiser proof of purchase as evidence that she purchased the products/goods.

Zandi was also running a daycare centre (crèche) on the same premises, but closed down the orphanage after the Department of Social Development removed 11 children from her care.

According to Zandi’s husband Capt Phineas Madlala from the Boksburg North SAPS, although the children allegedly refused to be removed from the centre, social workers forcefully took them away and were not even given a chance to write their final exams last year.

The orphanage has now moved across the road to premises which has recently been donated to the non-profit organisation.

At the time, the Department of Social Development said Zandi had not completed the registration process.

“The department has presented and explained the norms and standards to the owners (Zandi and her husband) so that it (the orphanage) can be registered and operate legally,” says the departmental spokesperson Sello Mokwena.

Zandi says the orphanage is registered as a non-profit organisation (NPO), but not as an orphanage, because she didn’t know better.

According to Mokwena, an NPO operating as an orphanage should be registered, so as to adhere to norms and standards set by the department, to enable them to provide appropriate services.

“The building must be appropriate, as well as the menu so as to obtain a health certificate,” says Mokwena.

Zandi’s Angels has been operating without a health certificate, and this Zandi says, is where the delay has been with the completion of their registration.

Capt Madlala says the organisation has finally completed all the relevant registration processes, and is now adhering to the norms and standards of an orphanage.

“We are complying with all the necessary documentation,” he says.

However, this has not been confirmed by the Department of Social Development, and the Advertiser is still awaiting their response.

Phineas admits that they were aware of some of the regulations that they were supposed to comply with, and feels that social workers were supposed to advise them instead of forcefully taking the children away.

“I suspect that this was a plot by a group of people to get rid of the centre,” says Phineas.