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The Gauteng Department of Health has failed to vet nearly 40,000 staff members working with children, raising serious concerns about child safety and patient protection across the province’s public health system.

These are sick children in hospital wards, toddlers in clinic waiting rooms, and teenagers receiving school health services, all relying on a system that has not done the most basic checks to protect them from potential predators.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Gauteng Department of Health to urgently implement mandatory National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO) and National Child Protection Register (NCPR) checks for all staff working with children, audit all child-facing posts, disclose how many employees have never been screened, set a clear compliance timeline, and publicly report on corrective action.

This shocking information was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Health, Faith Mazibuko, in a written reply to the DA's question in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL). The department confirmed that it employs approximately 39,653 people in “critical posts”, many of whom may have direct or indirect contact with children in hospitals, clinics, school health programmes, community outreach services, and other healthcare environments involving minors.

Yet, despite this enormous responsibility, the department admits that it does not currently conduct routine vetting of all employees against the National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO) or the National Child Protection Register (NCPR) as part of its standard employment processes. The department failed to apply legally required child protection checks, meaning thousands of hospital staff working around children were never screened against the NRSO and NCPR.

What’s even more alarming is the department’s assertion that it will create a system to ensure that all staff members hired to work with children are screened in line with relevant laws. This is effectively an admission that it currently lacks an adequate system that is compliant with the legislative safeguards designed to protect children.

It is unacceptable that in 2026, one of South Africa’s largest provincial departments is effectively admitting that key child protection laws, including the Children’s Act and Sexual Offences Act, are not being properly implemented.

The DA is the only party committed to full vetting of all individuals working with children across Gauteng government departments. In a DA-led Gauteng provincial government, this will be prioritised and standardised to ensure that no person with a history of sexual offences can escape screening and put children in danger.

Issued by by Michael Waters MPL - DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Education