Orphanage 'too white' for donations
2012-12-07 09:41
Johannesburg - A Pretoria orphanage says it is no longer
getting financial support from large companies as 70% of the children in its
care are white.
Elzane van der Merwe of the Jacaranda children’s home said:
“The only answer that the children’s home is getting is: ‘Sorry, you don’t meet
the criteria for 100% black economic empowerment (BEE),” reported Beeld.
But Van der Merwe said the children’s home couldn’t choose
which children to take in.
“To us a child is a child. We don’t discriminate. Here we
have 250 children between 18 months and 18 years that need care, regardless of
race or gender.”
She said that even though the department of trade and
industry had withdrawn the new suggested BEE codes, welfare organisations
countrywide were still affected.
The suggested codes award points to companies for their BEE
programmes and donations.
She said their income had dropped drastically due to the BEE
codes, even though there was an increase in the children that needed care.
The home only looks after children placed in its care by
court order.
