Govan Mbeki Traditional Council meet community forums and NPOs

The Govan Mbeki Traditional Council met with different community structures at the House of Praise Church in eMbalenhle on Wednesday, October 5, to discuss the community’s challenges.

According to Chief Isaac Mahlangu, the organisation’s chairperson said the traditional leaders called on the community forums and non-profitable organisations to help find a solution to the many social ills such as the high crime rate, unemployment, drug abuse and lack of business opportunities.

“eMbalenhle has become a crime zone, a drug-dealing hotspot where unemployment is rife.

“We as traditional leaders cannot keep quiet. The municipality and businesses must help us to unite the community for a good purpose.

“Our police station needs an upgrade and resources to fight crime. That is where big businesses must play a role because their employees reside in the townships.

“If an employee gets robbed or injured by the criminals, the company’s production drops because of that person who is not at work,” said Chief Mahlangu.

He told traditional leaders to do introspection on what they had done wrong that led their subjects to the situation in which they are now.

Mahlangu said traditional leaders want all community structures to work together, regardless of their goals and needs.

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He said the municipality and other government entities need to come on board, not only during election time.

Mahlangu also said they will soon meet big businesses, the Govan Mbeki Municipality and all government departments to discuss how they can work together to better the lives of their people.

Community forums also raised concerns about not receiving help with business development and being unemployed.

Mahlangu said challenges that were raised by the forums need urgent attention from traditional leaders.