KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC, Mrs Nonhlanhla Khoza, cited that government’s primary aim was to ensure proper service delivery to the communities across the province. She said providing skills to all community members would successfully address the country’s malaise and overcome existing barriers to service delivery.
Speaking at Hluthankungu village in Ubuhlebezwe Local Municipality during Operation Sigalelekile, MEC Khoza said the government continued to respond to demands for jobs, equality and justice.
“As a government, we focus on five overlapping priorities of accountability, effective governance systems, creating jobs and targeting available human capital. We have never derailed in our priorities of creating a safe environment for all citizens in this province,” she said.
MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza expressed concern that women and children continued to suffer from abuse daily. “It’s worrying that women continue to suffer in the hands of people that are supposed to protect them. Even in the clans of amakhosi, women and children are not safe. We all need to form a barrier to protect women and children. Men are the ones that should create a safe environment for women and children,” she said.
MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza said it was encouraging to see the justice sector seriously clamping down on cases of gender-based violence by ensuring that perpetrators were sent to prison for the longest time.
“No one should think has the upper hand on women. No woman owes any abuser. We want to caution women not to keep quiet when they suffer abuse from their partners. Women must not protect their partners who abuse their children,” she said.
MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza said the Department had a Victim Empowerment Programme to cushion all those who suffer abuse. “We should not stay in an abusive relationship because we are financially dependent on abusers while the government has various empowerment programmes to save women. Equally, we want to see all men dedicating their lives to protect women from any form of abuse,” she said.
She added that the government had committed itself to ensure that service delivery reached every sector of society. “We are a caring government for the people by the people, and we have a responsibility to keep the fires burning to ensure that no one is left behind as we roll out services,” she added.
The Mayor of Harry Gwala District Municipality, Councillor Zamo Nxumalo, gave assurance that the municipality was promptly responding to the needs of the people. “We know what our communities need, and we have to respond appropriately. We need to revive our local economy and ensure that locals benefit from their towns instead of being outmanoeuvred by outsiders,’ said Nxumalo.
