The Acting Director-General of the Department of Social Development, Mr Mzolisi Toni, has been saddened to see a misinterpretation of the Department’s statement regarding the partnership with the Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers made on 13 April 2020.
To clarify, the Department had noted with concern the incorrect circulation of an internal letter on social media platforms with regard to the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, an NPO, which is volunteering free sanitising services to DSD National and DSD Provincial Facilities in Gauteng during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Scientology Volunteer Ministers have donated R 3.8 Million since the national lockdown, to mobilise a team of 150 volunteers offering sanitisation and education to the most vulnerable in shelters and first responders. The above service has been rendered throughout the Gauteng Province.
Their volunteers have sanitised over 700 building facilities since lockdown, and contributed 50,000 volunteer hours in these past three weeks. The Department of Social Development would like to recognise and applaud their significant contributions in these troubled times.
The Department wishes to put it on record that the national agreement that existed between the Department of Social Development and Scientology Volunteer Ministers was a partnership specific to the sanitisation of its national premises and precisely-named facilities in Gauteng.
Unfortunately, it was found that there have been some persons in another province calling door to door falsely claiming to represent the Scientology Volunteer Ministers and carrying out “COVID-19 sanitisation” on behalf of the Department, illegally utilising the internal partnership letter and illegally misrepresenting Scientology Volunteer Ministers in an apparent attempt to make an opportunistic profit on South Africans in this time of need.
These actions were sanctioned by neither the Department nor the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, and such a misrepresentation is a criminal offense. Due to this, the Department and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers have terminated this existing partnership letter to prevent abuse of the document and false representation by unauthorised third parties using it.
The Department applauds the continued good work of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers throughout the Gauteng province, and neither party will tolerate misuse or misrepresentation while attempting to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 throughout our great nation.
The Department of Social Development and the Church wish to warn members of the public that no organisation has been contracted or partnered with by the Department to conduct “door to door sanitisation” of private or residential facilities for COVID-19. Members of the public should remain vigilant of people taking advantage of them during the lockdown period.
Under no circumstances would the Department direct an Accounting Officer of another public entity/organisation or a household to use an NPO for unsolicited services, more so when the services in question do not relate to the core mandate of the Department.
The Department of Social Development is committed to playing a role in offering services and relief to vulnerable groups during the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Media enquiries:
Ms Lumka Oliphant
Cell: 083 484 8067
E-mail: LumkaO@dsd.gov.za
(As updated on 16 April 2020)
