The Malvern Child and Youth Care Centre, also known as the Malvern Children’s Home, is urgently seeking assistance to resolve a staggering utility bill of nearly R1 million with the eThekwini Municipality.

This financial burden poses a grave threat to the survival of the institution, which has been a sanctuary for orphaned children for generations.

Founded under the auspices of KZN Christian Social Services in 1964, the Malvern Children’s Home is one of South Africa’s oldest child care facilities. It provides care, protection, and developmental support to vulnerable children aged between 2 and 18, including those who have been orphaned, abandoned, abused, or neglected.

By ensuring access to education, healthcare, and psychosocial support, the home empowers these children to rise above their challenging circumstances and strive for a better future.

Andile Ncamana, the director of the centre, has issued an urgent public appeal. This comes as the centre’s municipal water and electricity bill with eThekwini Municipality has escalated to nearly R1 million.

The home is concerned that, without immediate intervention, its capacity to offer a secure environment for at-risk children could be jeopardised.

“Currently, our eThekwini Municipality bill stands at R977,000. Although we have a payment agreement in place, inconsistent subsidies and soaring monthly bills based on high estimates make it very difficult to keep up with arrears, interest, and ongoing charges,” said Ncamana.

He said settling this debt would help avoid disconnections and allow the home to channel more funds towards the children’s basic needs, such as food, clothing, healthcare, and school transport.

“Our children have already endured loss and hardship. They should never have to face the fear of losing their home because of an unpaid bill. We are appealing to every South African – individuals, businesses, faith groups, and communities – to help us keep the lights on and the water running.” 

Ncamana emphasised that every contribution, regardless of its size, will significantly help the home continue to provide essential support such as shelter, meals, schooling, and the much-needed stability for these children.

“If this centre no longer exists, our children may end up on the streets. These are South Africa’s children, not only our children, and we want them to become upstanding adults later in life,” he said.

This is not the first time the home has faced financial distress and the possibility of closure.

In 2019, according to reports, the city wrote off a rates debt of R284,000 linked to a bill of R1 million. In addition, the municipality waived the 50% deposit, asking for 5% of the bill to be paid in order for a payment arrangement to be put in place.

“So they gave us 5% to pay and then 36 months to pay the rest. Which is not bad at all,” said Ncamana at the time of the report.

Speaking on Friday, municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana advised the home to urgently contact the municipality directly or visit their nearest Sizakala Customer Service Centre.

“They should bring along a copy of their municipal bill and any relevant documentation. This will allow the matter to be properly investigated and a formal response to be provided directly to the Children’s Home,” said Sisilana.

Sisilana also advised Independent Media that communication regarding the home’s account cannot be handled via the media, in order to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

A BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign was launched two months ago to help the home, but as of September 19, it has only garnered R550 in donations.

If the community wants to help the home pay off the debt, they can pay money straight to the municipality using the account number as the reference.

eThekwini Municipality account number: 71573300136

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