Early learning operators in Johannesburg’s Region G are raising concerns about the challenges of meeting regulatory requirements while continuing to provide affordable care to children in their communities.
Globe Post spoke to David Dickinson, an attorney with Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), who today represented three ECD centres in Region G that were fined for not having the required permits.
Dickinson said the matter extends beyond the three centres represented by LHR. He said he is also working with the Sisonke ECD Forum, which has around 200 members, with approximately half experiencing difficulties in obtaining permits.
Dickinson said some of the centres are operating on municipal land, making it difficult for them to obtain the documentation needed to secure permits.
“Some of these ECDs are on municipal land and they cannot get rental agreements. Without those rental agreements, it becomes impossible for them to get the permits they are being required to have,” said Dickinson.
He also raised concerns about the financial burden placed on ECD centres operating in poorer communities.
“The cost is another issue. Some of these ECDs are operating on very low margins compared to ECDs in places like Sandton, so the cost of compliance can be a much bigger burden for them,” he said.
Dickinson said the same municipal requirements apply across different communities also needs to be considered in the context of the financial circumstances of individual centres.
“The by-laws are the same, unfortunately, but the circumstances are not the same. An ECD in a lower-income community does not necessarily have the same margins or resources as an ECD in Sandton,” said Dickinson.
He said the three centres represented today are facing the consequences of non-compliance despite the practical difficulties they encounter in trying to meet the requirements.
The issue comes as Gauteng continues to deal with a large number of unregistered ECD programmes. About 5,900 ECD programmes remain unregistered in the province, with centres facing challenges including zoning, fire safety, food safety and infrastructure requirements.
The Bana Pele registration drive is intended to help ECD programmes move through the registration process and meet the required standards.
However, the Region G situation highlights difficulties that may affect a much wider group of operators, particularly those working in communities where access to suitable land, formal agreements and financial resources is limited.
For communities that rely on affordable ECD services, the challenge is not only about meeting regulations, but also about ensuring that centres can continue operating while providing accessible early learning for children.
