Attacks on social development services are causing visit delays and raising concerns about access to child protection services and other necessary measures in high-risk areas.
Social workers in the Western Cape have faced 22 cases of theft and attempted theft in the current financial year. Concern is growing that attacks on already overburdened social workers could deprive vulnerable children and families of timely assistance.
The Department of Social Development (DSD) has identified Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Delft, and Mfuleni as hotspots for staff attacks. In Khayelitsha alone, three incidents were recorded in one week.
These attacks represent an increase compared to the 17 cases recorded for the entire 2025/26 financial year, occurring against a backdrop of constant pressure on social services in the province.
Pressure on Social Services
Earlier this year, the DSD acknowledged to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament that underfunding hinders the optimal resourcing of social services. The department reported that it calculated the need for social service specialists in the province and submitted this information to the National Department of Social Development in June.
Another parliamentary response showed that DSD social workers on the ground collectively managed over 113,000 active cases in their Integrated Social Work Management System.
The latest attack occurred when a policy developer working on a child protection program was shot during an attempted robbery while conducting a monitoring visit to a non-profit organization in Khayelitsha on Monday morning. The employee managed to escape and reach a safe place at the nearest petrol station.
This incident followed two separate cases of robberies involving DSD staff in Khayelitsha last week. In one case, an asset management department employee was abducted with weapons on his driveway after finishing his shift. In another case, a social worker was abducted while visiting a home.
The Minister of Social Development (MEC) Wendy Kaiser-Philander stated that violence against employees performing vital duties should be viewed as an attack on vulnerable residents who depend on these services. Kaiser-Philander emphasized: 'Such incidents must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Attacks on DSD personnel should be seen as an attack on both the State and the vulnerable.'
She added that 'employees were carrying out duties to provide care and support to vulnerable clients.'
Staff Trauma and Service Delays
A DSD representative, Esther Lewis, reported that repeated robberies and attacks are significantly affecting social workers, as well as child and youth care workers. Lewis noted that some staff members have experienced mental health consequences, including post-traumatic stress, while others have sustained physical injuries.
Child and youth care workers who traveled after finishing shifts were particularly affected; some staff required extended leave. Furthermore, employees lost personal belongings during the attacks, including mobile phones, laptops, jewelry, bags, and money, in addition to the theft of state assets.
The department confirmed that at least one employee resigned following a robbery, and three others requested transfers. However, Lewis warned that the actual impact might be greater, as staff do not always officially cite safety concerns as a reason for resignation or transfer requests.
Violence has also begun to affect service delivery. Lewis stated: 'In some cases, this has caused delays in responding to clients, which has subsequent consequences for the vulnerable.'
Sometimes residents who usually received help through home or community visits had to travel to DSD offices or designated child protection organizations because staff could not safely enter certain areas. Lewis concluded: 'This is part of the real cost of crime against vulnerable residents.'
Security Measures and Calls for Increased Escort
DSD has implemented several measures to protect field-working staff. Information identifying staff has been removed from government vehicles, and security at some offices and facilities in high-risk areas has been enhanced. Social workers have also been instructed to travel in pairs and avoid entering certain high-risk areas without police escort.
The department has also changed routine travel routes used by shift workers and, in some cases, has been forced to prohibit staff entry into specific areas due to safety concerns. When asked about DSD's plans to increase escorts or further restrict visits following recent incidents in Khayelitsha, Lewis responded that it would depend on law enforcement availability.
Lucinda Evans, founder of the Philis Abafazi Betu Women's Centre and a child protection activist, stated that attacks on social workers could ultimately deprive the community of critical services. Evans expressed regret: 'It is very sad that our communities do not respect the help that comes to children from the community through the Department of Social Development.'
She added: 'We are already seeing a difficult situation where children are in distress, and defenders are being attacked—this is something we cannot accept as a community. We condemn the attacks on social workers.'
Evans warned that the consequences could be particularly severe regarding child protection, where delays could mean children do not receive care and protection quickly enough. She reminded: 'There is already a shortage of social workers. I covered this issue and their workload in 2025.'
She noted that 'we as communities are distressed when children under state care are subjected to violence again, but we do not pay enough attention to the safety, mental well-being, and security of social workers.'
Evans called for the use of provincial law enforcement resources to escort social workers, especially those responding to after-hours incidents.