Khayelitsha social workers stop home visits after hijackings

The Western Cape Department of Social Development has agreed to increase security for social workers in Khayelitsha following several robberies and hijackings at gunpoint. Photo: Vincent Lali

Social workers in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, will no longer visit homes and schools. This follows a spate of armed robberies and hijackings.

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) says social workers no longer feel safe going out into the community.

“We will work from our offices. This means social services will be compromised for now,” said Makhaya Jezile, spokesperson for NEHAWU’s Khayelitsha branch.

He said home visits to disabled residents and victims of domestic violence and child abuse have been cancelled.

Social workers play an important role, he said, but safety has become a persistent challenge since 2022.

In 2023, criminals stole 11 cars from the office.

In 2024, we reported that the provincial standing committee on social development wrote to the justice minister to request that attacks on social workers be reclassified as an “offence against the state” with harsher legal consequences.

Last year, social workers stopped using branded cars to avoid being targeted.

“This year, every two weeks a social worker gets hijacked,” said Jezile.

He said the union and Khayelitsha social workers sent a memorandum on Tuesday to the department, demanding increased security. On Thursday, they met senior officials after several recent hijackings, including the most recent when criminals hijacked social workers in a Toyota Hilux at gunpoint.

“The officials promised to beef up our security, but they didn’t give us timelines,” said Jezile.

Bonga Zamisa, the Khayelitsha Safety and Security Forum chairperson, said he was concerned about the impact stopping home visits would have on “victims of domestic violence, neglected children, people with disabilities and other vulnerable residents”.

“At the same time, workers have the right to a safe working environment and should not be expected to risk their lives.”

Social development MEC Wendy Kaizer-Philander confirmed that commitments were made to enhance security but did not elaborate to avoid compromising their plans.

She said people who could not leave their homes could schedule an appointment by phone. “Home visits will be done via scheduled appointments, and with the support of law enforcement.”

She urged the community to help protect social workers and to report any information to the police.

Two weeks ago, Kaizer-Philander met SAPS leadership to discuss staff safety.

“When services are disrupted, it is ultimately vulnerable residents and families who suffer. We therefore cannot allow criminality and intimidation to dictate whether people receive the social services to which they are entitled.”

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