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17 May 2007
The dream of owning a house finally came true for a 107-year Lisbet Nkosi
and her 85-year-old daughter Maria Meko, who was also allocated a house next to
her mother in Chief Luthuli Park in Benoni. Their dream became a reality after
Million Zitha, a Community Development Worker (CDW) deployed in the area to
unblock service delivery challenges came across the Nkosi and Meko living in an
informal settlement in Emaphupheni, Ekurhuleni.
Nkosi and Meko were all smiles when Gauteng Local Government MEC Qedani
Dorothy Mahlangu handed them the keys to their newly-build houses on Thursday.
According to Mahlangu, Zitha is one of 512 CDWs deployed in 366 wards in
Gauteng to unblock service delivery challenges and bring services closer to the
communities. "In 2003 President Thabo Mbeki announced that the government will
deploy a new crop of civil servants in communities to assist them to access
government programmes. Today's event is but one of the work that CDWs are doing
in their communities to bring government closer t the people."
During the State of the Nation Address in 2003, President Mbeki stated that,
"The government will create a public service echelon of multi-skilled Community
Development Workers who will maintain direct contact with the people where
these masses live. We are determined to ensure that government goes to the
people so that we sharply improve the quality of outcomes of public
expenditures intended to raise the standards of living of our people."
Mahlangu said, in responding to the President's call, the Gauteng Provincial
Government led by Premier Mbhazima Shilowa launched the programme in 2005.
"CDWs are the first point contact with communities and their role is to
interface with communities on daily basis, day or night, rain or sunshine.
These are a new crop of civil servants who don't work in air-conditioned
offices and they are there to complement the work of Ward Councillors in
ensuring that a better life for all becomes a reality," Mahlangu said.
An elated wheelchair-bound Nkosi said, "I am feeling good. It means that if
people complain you make a promise and deliver." Her daughter, Meko said, "I am
so happy, words cannot describe our joy. It's been Gogo's dream to own a house
and that dream has finally come true." Zitha who was awarded a certificate for
his sterling job said he was relieved that his efforts as a CDW has came into
fruition as he had worked tirelessly to ensure that the plight of Nkosi and
Meka were attended to by the Gauteng Department of Housing and Ekurhuleni
Metropolitan Council.
Zitha became a street committee member in 1995 and at the same time was a
member of the Community Policing Forum (CPF). In 2005 he was employed by the
Gauteng Department of Local Government as a CDW. "As a CDW you ask people what
they want from government and when they tell you, you cannot turn around and
say that is impossible to achieve, you have to promise them and that is a
difficult thing to do, when their wish comes true you celebrate with them and
that is a good feeling indeed. It was such a relief from my plight too because
I started to earn a salary for helping people," he said.
For more information, contact:
Themba Sepotokele
Cell: 082 490 9869
Issued by: Department of Local Government and Housing, Gauteng Provincial
Government
17 May 2007
