delivery
14 November 2007
Gauteng Local Government MEC Qedani Dorothy Mahlangu has unveiled a
programme to empower about 400 women councillors in the province with the much
needed skills ranging from public speaking to financial management.
Mahlangu, her counterpart in the Department of Economic Development, Paul
Mashatile, Deputy Speaker of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature and former
Reserve Bank Governor and board member of the ABSA Group Gill Marcus launched
the Women Councillor Mentorship and Training Programme at Gallagher Estate on
Tuesday, 13 November 2007.
Speaking at the launch, Mahlangu said the programme would include formal
training with credited institutions, workshops, breakfast meetings and
mentoring of councillors by leading business women and women politicians
including those who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956 during the anti-pass
demonstrations.
"The Mentorship Programme's main aim is to empower women in Gauteng, more
especially women councillors to equip them with necessary skills needed for the
acceleration of service delivery in the province.
"Women must make sure that they contribute positively to the lives of our
people. Our programmes need to have capacity to empower women. Lets us learn
from those who came before us. I have learnt to become a leader without being
arrogant. We want to create better councillors when their term of office comes
to an end in 2011," Mahlangu, the brain behind the programme, said.
Marcus praised the Gauteng Provincial Government for initiating the
programme, adding that there was a need to strengthen the partnership with the
local government sphere.
"Tonight is a special night in Gauteng ⦠to grow from strength to strength.
Despite the success we have achieved in our economy, we as women still are
faced with huge challenges in areas we live. We need to strengthen our
partnership with local authorities. Mentorship is about trust and giving.
"Councillors have the toughest job and for us to succeed (as a country) we
must have a strong local government. It is important to work hard and I want to
emphasise that there is no substitute for hard work. This initiative will
succeed if we make it successful. It (the mentorship programme) is based on a
relationship of trust and giving and also based from the strength we draw from
each other.
"Mentorship is sustained and is the forging of ideas and about giving and
receiving. It is important for us as South Africans go get to know (and
understand) one another without class, race and creed and I hope that this
initiative will grow into something strong," added Marcus.
Giving a motivational talk to women councillors, deputy speaker Sophia de
Bruyn, who was among the women who marched to the Union Building to protest in
1956, said councillors have a role to play in nation building and therefore
they must uphold the ethos of leadership.
"As councillors we have a role to play in building the nation. We should
contribute to nation building and should support one another to make this
democracy. When we women marched to the Union Building in 1956 we were
disciplined and dignified. Therefore, you have to be disciplined, dignified and
gracious when carrying yourselves.
"When they (women) did not see (then prime minister) JJ Strydom, they
(women) were angry but did not vandalise the streets (like it is the case with
some marches), but they channelled their anger in a song: 'wathit' abafazi
wathint' imbokoto. They did not slap anyone on the way," she said.
Mashatile congratulated Mahlangu for this initiative. "Women in our country
are brave in such that during their 1956 march they never invited men to
accompany them to express their concerns of the ancient regime. We as men
should commit ourselves to help women.
"The Department of Economic Development together with the Department of
Local Government have programmes in place to support women. We are happy today
that women are willing to assist in our communities.
"There is a lot we can learn form these respective women councillors and
when we move into the next phase of local government we should ensure that more
women receive training in order to equip them with the necessary tools required
for acceleration of service delivery so as to also uplift our economy. Giving a
comprehensive leadership role in our communities is not an easy task which is
why we need to train our women," he added.
For more information contact:
Themba Sepotokele
Tel: 011 355 5111
Cell: 082 490 9869
Issued by: Department of Local Government, Gauteng Provincial
Government
14 November 2007
