Speech delivered by Minister of Communications, Ms Faith Muthambi, at the occasion of the handing-over of furniture and ICT equipment at Ndzundza Fene Traditional Council and Ndlelehle Youth Centre At Kwaggafontein in the Mpumalanga Province
Inkosi Mahlangu and the Ndzundza Fene Royal Council
Mpumalanga MEC for COGTA: Hon. R Mtsweni
Deputy Chairperson National House of Traditional Leaders
Nkangala District Municipality Acting Executive Mayor
Thembisile Hani Local Municipality Mayor
All Councillors from District and Local Municipalities
National Convenor of the Contralesa Youth Wing
Deputy Chairperson of Contralesa of the Mpumalanga Province
Eskom Representatives
HCI Coal CEO
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
Programme Director
It is my privilege to be given this opportunity to address you during the month of November as we embrace our people with disabilities across the country, and today, 25th of November marks the first day of the 16 days of no violence against women and children.
I was really touched during my visit here on the 3rd of June 2016 to have witnessed the brokenness, poverty and underdevelopment prevalent in communities around this area. My heart was touched as I reflected on the pain and sorrows on the people’s lives. But instead of despair, I became optimistic that the ANC-led Government will heed my pleas for intervention in building a genuine community in which residents enjoy strong family ties, sustained by meaningful employment opportunities where the whole community will join hands in raising their children for a brighter future.
I am here reminded of the words of wisdom by our former State President Nelson Mandela when he said “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities”. Without equal opportunities for all, there can be no brighter future.
We live in an interdependent world. We can’t escape each other. Government has become aware that without community service, we would not have a strong quality life. That is why I am so grateful because the power utility, ESKOM, chose to bring all like-minded leaders in the business sector to share ideas on building and nurturing sustainable and valuable partnerships.
I would also like to extend the message of appreciation to Eskom for the sponsorship of ICT tools for the Ndlelehle Youth Centre to the tune of more than R1.2 million Rand. Eskom through its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme, committed these funds to the Community Centre. Furthermore, Eskom has sponsored the Royal Council with about half a million Rand. This will help the Royal Council run its daily affairs more efficiently. We place the Traditional Leadership in high esteem and would encourage them to continue their important valuable roles in our communities.
As we continue to reclaim our African identity and human dignity restoring pride of being African, your role is going to be to be very important. That is why we hear calls from young people in our universities to decolonise our tertiary institutions so that they reflect our Africanness.
Programme Director.
We will continue to urge all our State Owned Entities (SOEs) to play their part to ensure that the Nine-Point Plan becomes a supporting pillar of our communities in the next coming months. As Starhawk puts it, “Community means strength that joins our strength to do the work that needs to be done. Arms to hold us when we falter. A circle of healing. A circle of friends. Someplace where we can be free”.
ESKOM today is teaching us that giants are not statues framed against a red sky. They are people who say: This is my community, and it is my responsibility to make it better (Studs Terkel).
Many developed Nations and some emerging economies have depended on the performance of the SOEs to drive their developmental agenda and enhance competitiveness of their countries. Eskom, being one of Government SOCs, has proven beyond the call of duty that it has meaningful contributions to make to the society. It has gone beyond just the provision of power to the empowerment of communities through its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme. You should not serve in any community and not give something back. I therefore strongly believe that the Ministry of Communications, through its entities under its wing, provide an opportunity for Government to demonstrate that Izimbizo are indeed Government interventions to expedite service delivery.
Poverty, unemployment and inequality remain the biggest obstacles to the course of building a prosperous society that equally enjoys the fruits of a democracy and citizens’ rights that are guaranteed in our Constitution.
As Government, together with civil society and business, we need to find solutions and usher in an era of hope to our citizens as we address and overcome prevailing challenges. This is the first step that all of us must take in order to realize the kind of society we envisage and the conditions the rural poor in the Province wants to live in.
Programme Director
The statistics for the unemployed pose even a bigger challenge to all of us as we ponder ways in which we can address the critical question of joblessness. We have to facilitate relevant approaches to augment the Corporate Social Investment programmes in job creation endeavours.
It is clear that business needs to find a common and sustainable approach of channelling the CSI programmes in a way that contributes to improved socio-economic situation of the rural poor communities in the Province. I know that the responsibility of Government should be to lay a fertile ground of empowerment by instilling self-confidence and restoring community pride by encouraging residents to be active participants in Local Government matters.
Residents of Kwaggafontein, South Africa has entered the Digital era. Very soon, the whole of South Africa will burst into praises joining communities in the Northern Cape Square Kilometer Array (SKA) where we have moved from Analogue to Digital Terrestrial broadcasting. Soon communities will be singing from the same hymn page like those in the Northern Cape bursting into praises for the roll out of Digital Migration.
I am appealing to the indigents locals to visit their nearest South African Post Office to register in order to receive Government subsidised Set Top Boxes. What is only needed are the following documents:
- South African Identity Document
- Proof of Residence
- Proof of possessing a TV set.
- Proof of household income below R3 200 per month.
Programme Director
Those who are knowledgeable about these procedures are requested to help the needy to better understand the processes so that we expedite the migration process as we have to completely switch off from analogue in 2018 distribution of the STBs.
There are positive spin-offs from this project as some youths might be trained as Set-Top-Boxes installers thereby creating employment opportunities. It cannot be business as usual when the youth of this country continue to constitute high volumes of the unemployed statistics. As the Department we are saying that local youth must benefit from this Project. The training rollout will follow the STB rollout pattern in order to maintain the momentum. It is anticipated that on completion, an approximate 2 800 new installers would have been equipped with the skills nationwide.
We are the only Government throughout the continent that is providing these migration devices for free to poor households. This is because our Government is no stranger to the sufferings of the masses and is committed to ensuring that much needed Spectrum enabling provision of more broadband services to benefit our communities is cleared within a short space of time.
It is also encouraging to acknowledge the support from all key role playing entities and I am certain that communities are being assisted by these entities. These entities are fully committed to executing their responsibilities and to regularly report to me so that we keep an update and remove all glitches in the roll-out process.
Programme Director
In every community there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart there is the power to do it. Average people and average communities can change the world. Citizens of Mpumalanga, never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. I therefore urge you build upon the foundation the Ministry of Communications and ESKOM has laid for you.
In closing, partnerships calls for responsibility where we all play our part to guard our gifts jealously empowering ourselves to take charge of our lives and not be bystanders who watch from the sides. The same way in which we became our political liberators, we must become our own economic liberators. It is a responsibility we can’t outsource to anyone.
I thank you.
Ngiyathokoza
