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Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System --------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 22 Oct 2006 Title: President Mbeki hears grievances of Umzimkhulu residents --------------------------------------------------------------- By David Masango, tel: (012) 314-2230 Umzimkhulu - President Thabo Mbeki has listened to various concerns of Umzimkhulu residents and assured them that their needs would be attended to as quickly as possible. Mr Mbeki was on a two-day Imbizo trail on Friday and Saturday during which he met with various groups including the community; business stakeholders as well as the leadership of the Sisonke District Municipality. During the community Imbizo attended by thousands of residents on Saturday, Mr Mbeki, accompanied by a number of Cabinet Ministers, KwaZulu-Natal Premier S'bu Ndebele and the provincial leadership, heard first-hand about problems the people grappled with daily. These ranged from the use of bucket toilets; lack of water, electricity and proper housing; lack of or poor road infrastructure; poor services from the police; lack of proper healthcare facilities; lack of proper schools and computer education; bad treatment from public servants when they needed service; the exclusion of women in the agriculture sector; as well as lack of employment, especially for the youth. The community also complained that they received no feedback from the mayor and councillors regarding the municipality's operations, as should be the case. "We cannot allow for councillors and mayors not to report back to the communities - these are the people that took a vow to work for the people. "They should at all times work with the people; live with them and go back to report back to them," President Mbeki said. He explained that government wanted to respond to the people's grievances with visible service delivery. Others raised concerns about access services such as government's social grants, Department of Home Affairs services such as applications for IDs Responding to the public's grievances, President Mbeki assured the people that all tiers of government would work together to address their concerns urgently. He reminded the community that South Africa's democracy was still young and that a lot had been achieved in a little over a decade. Mr Mbeki thus urged the public to be patient because services would come to them in due course. "We must not forget where we are coming from; we must not forget that this freedom is new. All these things [community's needs] should be done, but we must be patient," he said. Responding to some of the grievances KwaZulu-Natal Premier Ndebele explained that the province had set aside money to be spent on a number of projects in Umzimkhulu by March 31 next year. The province has amongst others set aside R1.8 million for the eradication of bucket toilets; R2.5 million to improve transport; R1.25 million to provide agriculture machinery; R1.37 million to strengthen Community Policing Forums (CPFs) as well as R650 000 for a committee to assess the existing backlogs. Public Works Minister Thoko Didiza also explained that government acknowledged the lack of job opportunities but said there were programmes to assist people acquire skills and at the same time earn some living. She said the Expanded Pubic Works Programme (EPWP) was one such programme. "Through the EPWP jobs can be created through the infrastructure development programme. It provides some jobs and even though it is not permanent it puts food on the table," she explained. Minister Didiza also referred the youth to the Umsobomvu Youth Fund for assistance and information on how employment opportunities. - BuaNews |
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