A Social Worker based in Orange Grove has been hailed for his extraordinary service in rescuing a baby in distress and having her registered and immunised.
Johannesburg, South Africa – A member of the community has penned a heart-warming email to the Executive Mayor, commending Anele Gxotelwa for extraordinary service with pride.
In the email, Ronelle Orji describes the service she received from Gxotelwa as “excellent” and pleads with Mayor Herman Mashaba to acknowledge him.
The girlfriend of Orji’s son abandoned their six weeks old baby with Gxotelwa at the Social Development Offices in December. The City employee reported the matter to the Norwood police who helped reunite the baby with Orji, its grandmother living in Lyndhurst.
It turned out the baby was due for immunisation and Orji wasn’t permitted to take it to her local clinic because she was not yet recognised as its legal guardian.
That’s when Gxotelwa stepped in to ensure a smooth process by writing a social worker’s referral letter and obtaining a testimonial from a constable from the local police station.
The City employee went as far as helping Orji get the little one registered with Home Affairs, through drafting all relevant legal documentation since its mother had absconded.
“I’ve never been in need of a social worker in my life, and I assumed that this would be a tedious process. To my surprise, Anele was always ready to share information, give advice, guide, and direct me on what to do next. Always professional and very respectful,” Orji explains.
The baby is said to be doing well, thanks to Gxotelwa’s dedication to his work.
A social worker in region E, Gxotelwa joined the City of Joburg in 2016. He is passionate about clinical work as part of the Social Work practice and is currently enrolled for a Master’s Degree in Social Work at the University of Pretoria.
“I am so proud to be a professional Social Worker and to do everything to the best of my ability to change people’s lives,” he says.
Gxotelwa loves rendering psychosocial interventions to patients and enjoys making an effort to change people’s lives, particularly vulnerable groups such as children, persons living with disabilities and the elderly.
“I love going beyond the call of duty to make sure that people I serve get the best services out of my professionalism,” he says.
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