MEC Scott cooked, cleaned, planted, and sung with the less fortunate - Mandela Day
The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance, Belinda Francis Scott, spent her entire day including her 67 minutes of commemorating Madiba; scrubbing floors, cleaning, cooking, planting, and rejoicing with the less fortunate children and community of eMaphephetheni area, at KwaNyuswa in Hilcrest.
Most residents in this area gathered at Thandizwe Creche, where Mandela Day Festivities organised by KZN Provincial Treasury were taking place. Activities ranged from cleaning, cooking for more than 100 kids, gardening, and donating more than 70 sponges, blankets and outdoor playing facilities.
MEC Scott led a group of local leadership, traditional leaders, local business people, and community in a selfless drive to commemorate Mandela Day. She thanked the community for giving 67 minutes of their time for a good cause.
“The most important lesson from uTata, is that nobody is important than the next person. If each one of us heeded the call to simply do good every day, we would be living Nelson Mandela’s legacy and helping to build a country of our dreams. Madiba set an example for all of us that we need to look after each other. He also had a special love for children which is why we chose to work with less fortunate children at kwaNyuswa today. The baton of selflessness has been handed over to us. It is in our hands now to make a positive difference” said MEC Scott.
While the adults were hands-on at work, children were having fun, playing on the outdoor playing facilities which were donated by Durban Solid Waste (DSW).
The school Principal Ms Bajikile Gwala could not hold tears and said that, “We are thankful to MEC Scott and her delegation for these humbling gifts because for years now, our children had limited dilapidated outdoor playing facilities and have been sleeping on the floor even during the worse winter cold days, exposing them to cold associate ailments like flue, as we had no sponges and blankets for them to sleep over. This is not a small token to us at all, but rather a life changing gift and for that we are grateful and we run out of words, thank you very much”.
The local councillor, Mr Mhluhlube Mkhize, thanked Provincial Treasury and used an opportunity to appeal to MEC for Finance to channel more funds towards infrastructure and black-top roads at eMaphephetheni when working on next year’s financial budget.
“I hope that as you were driving here you noticed the status of our roads and we hope that you will take that back with you and ensure that something is done. The ball is now in our hands to look after these gifts and ensure that they don’t land in wrong hands. They belong to our children and they must benefit our children at the school not in your homes. If each one of us heeded the call to simply do good every day, we would be living Nelson Mandela’s legacy and helping to build a country of our dreams” said Cllr Mkhize.
“18 July has been declared Nelson Mandela International Day in a bid of embracing and celebrating Nelson Mandela’s life which gives everyone the opportunity to heed the call to action for people to recognise their individual power to make an imprint and change the world around them” concluded MEC Scott.
Enquiries:
Musa Cebisa
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