The Department of Social Development (DSD) said South Africa needs 55 000 social workers to meet the demand for appropriate basic social welfare services. Despite the need for social workers in the country, around 9,000 qualified social workers remain unemployed.
During the Presidential Imbizo and Oversight Visit in Gauteng last week, DSD Minister Lindiwe Zulu said that social workers who received government bursaries will be employed.
The Unemployed Social Workers Movement of South Africa (USWMSA) immediately took issue with the minister’s sentiments. This as it implies that the DSD are selective in their recruitment process and is discriminating against self-funded students.
Maria Tshetlo, Coordinator of USWMSA says if bursary-funded students are going to be recruited first, the minister must communicate with other government departments to absorb self-funded students.
Tshetlo added, “To clarify that issue, we believe there was a misunderstanding because we cannot as a department and government do any form of discrimination against any social worker.”
Minister Zulu says her remarks have been misconstrued and that she is not oblivious to the plight of self-funded unemployed social work graduates.
In a statement, the DSD said during the event, Minister Zulu indicated that they are working with other government departments and the National Treasury to absorb unemployed social workers. These social workers will be given opportunities in the Basic Education sector, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Health (DOH).
She said, “We are working with sector departments and the National Treasury to address the plight of all unemployed social workers in the country, especially given the socio-economic challenges and social ills that require interventions by social service professionals and levels of unemployment amongst young people in the country.”
The Minister added that the DSD absorbed a substantial number of unemployed social workers since the Covid-19 pandemic hit South African shores.
These unemployed social work graduates were recruited using a database that was set up by the DSD which sought to register all unemployed social workers and social auxiliary workers in the country.
