Atkasi Women’s Parliament launched in KaNyamazane
This parliament seeks to empower women so they can reclaim and revive economies in this township outside Mbombela.
The spirits of the members of the Atkasi Women’s Parliament dressed in pink doeks soared as they marched down Chris Hani Street on Friday April 5 for the organisation’s launch under the theme ‘Reclaiming and reviving township economy’, and gathered at the KaNyamazane Community Hall.
The members of the newly formed non-profit organisation were treated to an informative session about it, which seeks to ensure that the government invests its resources and services primarily in townships and rural communities to enhance service delivery.
When he addressed the attendees at the hall, the secretary of the organisation, Bhuti Themba, said one of the objectives of the parliament is women’s emancipation, empowerment and advocacy, which take centre stage.
“We want to empower and sustain women with their own projects and initiatives, and to create platforms of inclusive participation in township economy, while ensuring equitable distribution of resources and opportunities to all deserving members. There are many foreign people taking over township economies that locals cannot tap into because of lack of support. We want to encourage women in KaNyamazane to start their businesses as a way to take over their township economy.”
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Themba said unity from community members play a vital role in creating a network of successful individuals. “This way, we will manage to fight against inequality, poverty and the crime that affects many communities, and the abuse faced by children and women. We want to fight the surge of undocumented foreigners who bring illegal goods and services into the township. We will make KaNyamazane great.”
He said in doing so, the parliament will identify partnerships and community stakeholders that will assist the members running projects that will generate income for themselves. It creates platforms for creatives to expose themselves and penetrate into their desired markets.
Themba said this is a pilot programme and will be facilitated in more areas in the near future.
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Among the distinguished guests at the launch was the convener of the Mpumalanga ANC Women’s League, Cathy Dlamini.
