As part of improving the living conditions of South Africa’s most impoverished citizens, the Minister of Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, will on Friday, 10 July 2015, take Project Mikondzo to the residents of Mantsopa in the Free State. Mikondzo is Social Development’s radical and people centred approach which seeks to address service delivery backlogs through efficient delivery of social services in a more integrated manner.
Mantsopa is in the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality with approximately 11 517 households, nine wards. It is reported that 43 percent of these households are headed by women. Statistics South Africa’s 2011 Census has also shown that 61 percent of Mantsopa’s total population had no formal income with 66 percent of its households earning less than R1 000 per month.
The Department of Social Development had community dialogues with the community of Mantsopa and found that members of this community were battling with substance abuse – especially alcohol. It is plagued with gangsterism and crime, lack of disability centres as well as poor health services.
The dialogues also revealed that since Mantsopa local municipality is closer to the boarder of Lesotho, there were many residents of Lesotho living in Mantsopa without proper documentation.
Minister Dlamini is visiting Mantsopa in her capacity as a member of the Inter-Ministerial Task Team on Migration established by President Jacob Zuma after the attacks on foreign nationals.
Note: Activities of the day will start with a traditional ceremony at 5h30 next to the Mantsopa Mountain to honour Prophetess Makhetha Mantsopa who used to live next to the Mantsopa Mountain and was the advisor to King Moshoeshoe. This Legend was revered for her resistance and ability to look into the future. It is believed that to this day South Africans still visit her grave.
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover both the ritual ceremony and the main event scheduled as follows:
Date: 10 July 2015
Time: 12h00
Venue: Legalong la Mantsopa, (Modderpoort) - Ladybrand, Mantsopa Local Municipality, Free State Province
Media can RSVP by contacting:
Jaconia Kobue
Cell: 073 026 1111
E-mail: jaconiak@dsd.gov.za
Media inquiries may be directed to:
Lumka Oliphant
Cell: 083 484 8067
E-mail: lumkao@dsd.gov.za
