Speaker calls to fight poverty

SECUNDA – Mr Cyril Gwiji, Speaker of the Govan Mbeki Municipality, said they are committed to tackle poverty, unemployment and inequality in the area.

He said the municipality, through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), Community Works Programme (CWP) and Phezukomkhono Project, aims to give a hand to the poorest in the community.

“These programmes are aimed to tackle poverty and unemployment.

“They also give the youth an opportunity to work and earn an income.

“Together we are uplifting communities and ourselves.”

He said they are aware of the challenges such as crime and drug abuse in the communities.

He said the EPWP and CWP offer communities a way to end these social ills and improve lives.

“These programmes should also create jobs for the unskilled, poor, indigent and child headed households and people with disability.

“The government assured the people that we know what is wrong in our area and that it has the solution to resolve the challenges.

“Together with the residents, we called for visible and urgent change.

“The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and the Provincial Government are urged to continue providing support and exercise vigilance over the municipality to improve our audit outcome.

“We are fully aware of the residual challenges and the extreme importance of the municipality as the primary point of delivery and closest interface between our people and the municipality.”

He also spoke about Back to Basics and said it means ensuring that the municipality have the basic capacity required to manage the Govan Mbeki Municipality’s rapid urbanisation and to transform apartheid spatial patterns.

“The legacy of apartheid spatial patterns and the challenges of rapid urbanisation must be confronted through integrated urban development that is linked to the development of our rural areas.

“In doing so, we must recognise the inextricable link between rural and urban development.

“As we celebrate 15 years of democratic local government, more must be done to correct the weaknesses in our municipality.

“We must also, of necessity, celebrate the many successes that are characteristic of our municipality in our daily work of delivering basic services at rates which are unprecedented, to those who had been previously excluded.”

The Office of the Speaker also welcomed the initiative taken by the Provincial Government in its campaign, Operation Vuka Sisebente, of creating Ward War Rooms to mobilise communities and hold community dialogue.

The War Rooms will comprise of all stakeholders in a Ward which will include, inter alia, Ward Committees, CDW’s, All Heads of Community Structures in the Ward, Civil Society Organisations, Faith-Based Organisations, Private Sector, Local Business, Traditional Leaders and Key Sectors.

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