The MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Norman Mokoena, accompanied by the MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Ms Sibongile Manana and the MEC foe Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mr Jabu Mahlangu, will this afternoon visit Balfour in the Dipaleseng local municipality.
The aim of the visit is for the MECs to assess the situation. MEC Mokoena has condemned in the strongest possible terms the unwarranted violence and malicious destruction of property, by certain residents of Balfour. The recent incidents of unrest have greatly concerned MEC Mokoena, as a lot of progress has been made in dealing with the issues that were raised by the community last year.
“We have set up a task team that includes some leaders of the community, officials from the municipality and the provincial government. The task team has made significant progress on dealing with a number of the issues raised and therefore these acts of violence are unwarranted,” said Mokoena.
Some of the issues raised in the memorandum submitted by the community, dated 8 July 2009, were around education, social and economic infrastructure, service delivery, housing, youth, crime, public and private sector contributing to youth development and health.
Some of the achievements that have been made on these issues include the Department of Home Affairs extending its services from two days a week to five days at the Thusong Service Centre, the provincial government will be appointing a contractor to complete the incomplete houses, a Skills Development summit was held, government is exploring the feasibility of establishing a further education and training (FET) college, a youth centre will be included in the 2010/11 integrated development plan process, an interim youth council has been established and the municipality has separated youth functions from the transversal functions, and the MECs of Health in Mpumalanga and Gauteng have signed an agreement that allows the Siyathemba community to make use of the public hospital in Heidelberg, Gauteng.
Contact person:
Simphiwe Kunene
Cell: 082 413 3931
E-mail: SKunene@mpg.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mpumalanga Provincial Government
9 February 2010
