South Africa: Yesterday morning, MEC Motshidise Koloi led a political briefing with the Moqhaka Local Municipality prior to the Pre-Budget Vote Speech Outreach Programme.
Once introductions were done, the MEC spoke on the reason behind the approach she took with the Outreach Programme. She mentioned that it was important for the Department of Social Development to go to where people are and not hold an awareness session but provide much-needed social services. She explained that the Budget Vote was influenced by the needs of communities, so it was imperative that the Department remains on the ground.
“The Department of Social Development relies on NPOs to reach communities we cannot reach. Therefore, we need a new breed of NPOs who will come up with new ideas to develop our communities. In the same breath, we need to move NPOs like the Community Nutrition and Development Centres (CNDCs) from being soup kitchens to be more developmental and self-reliant. We need to create Cooperatives that will benefit their communities. Communities who come to get food from these CNDSs must also be developed and empowered with skills that will enable them to provide for themselves,” said the MEC of Free State.
The MEC further spoke on the impression given that the Department of Social Development is a food parcel giving Department. “Speaker, the Department of Social Development is not a food parcel department. We need to move from this perception. Food parcels are not sorting out the poverty problem. Instead, they cause people not to move from poverty.
We need to help people and develop them to be able to provide for themselves. The Department is looking for partnerships that will assist in alleviating poverty and fighting social ills.” stressed MEC Koloi.
The Acting HOD, Advocate TJ Phahlo, spoke on the footprint of the Department in Fezile Dabi. “The Department of Social Development is currently spending R28 million in Fezile Dabi, but the question is, do we see the impact? We need to capacitate our NPOs to be at the level where their impact will be seen. The MEC decided to bring services to the community of Maokeng. In realising that the Department does not work alone, we brought our sister departments and social partners like Home Affairs, SAPS, SASSA, etc.” said Adv Phahlo.
The District Director, Me Martins, outlined the programme and also committed to finding ways to capacitate non-compliant NPOs.
The Acting Mayor, Cllr. TSHOKOLO Ntasala, who was with the Speaker Cllr Selloane Khiba, Chief Whip Cllr. Mamajeremane Semakale, Councillors and Municipality management appreciated the Outreach as those services were needed. An important plea was made that the Moral Regeneration Programme be resuscitated as this assisted with the rehabilitation of ex-offenders.
The Municipality further appreciated the services provided by the Department, especially the MEC’s commitment to capacitating NPOs to form cooperatives. The MEC invited the Mayor and his team to join her at the services exhibition held at Toreng.
