Social Development imbizo to tackle array of social challenges in Merafong
As Social Development Month continues, the Minister of Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, will host an imbizo in the Merafong Municipality in Gauteng to engage the community on a number of social issues they have raised with the Department.
Officials of the Department have been in the area for the past few weeks conducting extensive consultative engagements with the community of Merafong in order to gain an understanding of the challenges they face and together come up with proposals on how these could be addressed in the short, medium, and long-term.
The Merafong area suffers from high levels of poverty caused by high unemployment. The few people who have work are employed by mining companies located near the area. With the mining sector not doing well as a result of plunging commodity prices, many of the employed few have been laid off as mines cut costs or close their operations.
The effects of poverty in the area are taking their toll. Unemployed people are increasingly turning to substance and alcohol abuse as a panacea for their suffering, with unemployed youth said to be keen users of dagga and nyaope.
As is usually the case in many other communities, the abuse of substances and alcohol leads to acts of criminality (some of which are perpetuated by gangs), the physical abuse of women and children, and irresponsible sexual behaviour with brings with it unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
The community have also complained about a lack of services and social facilities, such as churches and recreational centres for the youth and elderly.
Minister Dlamini will therefore host the imbizo to see how government can intervene to improve the living conditions of the Merafong Community.
Social Development Month (October) aims to increase access to and utilisation of social services through direct intervention by building effective service delivery partnerships between government, communities and other role players.
Social Development Month takes place under the auspices of the Department’s flagship outreach programme, Project Mikondzo – a service delivery improvement programme aimed at responding quicker, more effectively and innovatively to social challenges in the country.
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the Merafong imbizo, which will take place as follows:
Minister Dlamini’s visit to three poverty stricken households:
Date: 31 October 2015
Time: 10h00
Minister’s procession will leave from site visits to main event
Main event
Date: 31 October 2015
Time: 11h00
Place: Rooipoort Primary School Sports Ground, Ward 1
Media can RSVPs with:
Jaconia Kobue
Cell: 073 026 1111
E-mail: jaconiak@dsd.gov.za
Media inquiries may be forwarded to:
Lumka Oliphant
Cell: 083 484 8067
E-mail: lumkao@dsd.gov.za
