Premier Thandi Modise has welcomed the commitment of religious leaders towards implementation of the National Development Plan and their response to her challenge for them to play a more active in tackling all social ills facing the North West Province.
“The enriching engagements reflected in the declaration adopted by the two-day Provincial religious summit that ended on Thursday reaffirmed the commitment of religious leaders to a partnership towards adoption of the provincial social cohesion strategy. We are heartened by the commitment to foster unity and encourage cooperation among faith groupings ” said Premier Modise.
In her keynote address delivered at the opening of the summit that ended on Thursday, Modise had urged religious leaders from across all faiths to take it seriously that government cannot do everything on its own, especially when it comes to moral regeneration. She said that different faiths must lead in praying for unity, reconciliation and social cohesion.
The Premier had called on religious leaders to play a more active role in reviving good morals in our people and assists government in its determined effort to have morally conscience communities.
“We call upon you to play a more active role in reviving good morals in our people and support our efforts to have morally conscience communities,” Premier Modise said.
The Premier hailed the summit as an important milestone that has ensured that faith leaders understand the complexities of the challenges that are facing government and communities and the importance that their contribution towards overcoming them.
In her address, the Premier had singled out gender based violence, abuse of women and children, rape, alcohol and drug abuse, murder, fraud, corruption and bribery, lack of respect for one another as social ills which needed to be tackled head-on as part of moral regeneration.
Modise called for civil society, youth formations, churches, traditional leaders and community members not to sit back when wrong things happen in their communities but to blow the whistle.
“When a citizens stands up raise issues that affect them they are not anti-government or anti-ANC. We fought for citizens to be equal and have a voice, It is the responsibility of all of us in the province to report any crime to the relevant institutions so that we clean-up the scourge of corruption that threatens our collective development” she had emphasised.
“Women and youth will never have economic muscle if tenders are given to those we know and favour. The North West should champion a model to bring our people together. We should be one at fighting corruption. Only unity will take us into the future,” Modise added. The Premier’s strong sentiments were echoed by Professor David Masoma of the National Interfaith Council of South Africa (NICSA) in his input who said that different faith organizations have an important role in nation building by promoting Ubuntu.
Chairperson of the North West House of Traditional Leaders, Professor Kgosi Madoda Zibi also agreed that faith based organizations are key in promoting good morals especially in rural communities.
He said young people must be taught how to conduct themselves at a very early age and it is a responsibility of the whole community to take the lead.
“The must reclaim the adage that it takes the whole community to raise a child. When we teach our children that they must only respect their biological parents, we risk raising a person who will be disrespectful towards others,” emphasised Kgosi Zibi.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Spokesperson
Tel: 018 388 3705
Cell: 083 629 1987
Fax: 018 388 3157
Email: LKgwele@gmail.com
