Hundreds of women employed through the Ladysmith Municipality initiated job creation programme, Zibambele, and more than 2 000 community members in attendance have been armed with financial literacy skills during the official launch of this labour intensive programme in Durford, Ladysmith today.
The programme empowering the poor residents of Ladysmith and the surrounding areas was launched by MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Wilies Mchunu, MEC for Finance, Ina Cronjé and the mayor of Laysmith Municipality, Dudu Mazibuko.
The purpose of the programme is to create jobs for the locals through Zibambele that will get hundreds of women from all wards in the municipality employed. This launch included lessons on Financial Literacy in a bid to empower those already employed with skills to use their money wisely.
Cronjé said those due to start work through Zibambele must ensure that they use their money carefully. Cronjé also shared with the community priorities of the provincial budget.
“Every family must have a budget. Don’t spend more than you get. Save for the rainy days and do not go to Mashonisa because they will not help you know how to manage your money,” she said.
She said she is happy to see Ladysmith copying what the Department of Transport started which, to date, has created 40 000 job opportunities through road maintenance.
Mchunu congratulated the Ladysmith Municipality on adoption of the poverty alleviation programme and urged the officials to use proper procedures in recruiting Zibambele contractors. “People must be recruited based on their level of poverty and not based on their political affiliation,” he said.
Regarding recruitment, Mazibuko said they will be taking women from every ward under their municipality. She said the municipality works closely with the provincial government to ensure that job creation initiatives implemented in other areas of the province are copied in Ladysmith to benefit the local community.
One of the beneficiaries of the programme, Mbali Vilakazi who had been unemployed said she was grateful for the opportunity that will help her feed her family.
For more information, contact:
Musa Cebisa
Cell: 071 6878 777
Kwanele Ncalane
Cell: 072 803 1462
