The Minister for Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, has called on the Department to extend food provision given to children from child-headed households in Tlokwe, Potchefstroom.
Minister Dlamini learned while interacting with members of the Tlokwe Baptist Children’s Centre – a non-profit organisation (NPO) providing child and youth care services to children who have no one to look after them – that children from child-headed households are offered food only three times a week.
On hearing this, the Minister expressed her dissatisfaction with the situation and instructed for measures to be found to ensure the children have food seven days a week. “This is a clear service delivery gap that must be addressed urgently,” explained Minister Dlamini.
The Department of Social Development was conducting a community Imbizo in the North West province Township as part of its recently launched Project Mikondzo, a service delivery improvement initiative aimed at finding and addressing service delivery short-comings. It also aims to improve access to the department and its entities’ (the South African Social Security Agency and National Development Agency) services in the poorest wards of the country.
This was the department’s second visit to the area in a space of two months. During her August 2 visit Minister Dlamini had expressed the department’s wish to work with NPOs in the area in order to improve access to social services.
During her second visit, the Minister learned that twenty four (24) NPO registration applications had been received by the Provincial Department of Social Development from groups that want to operate on an official basis in Tlokwe. The Minister was delighted that organisations were coming forward to assist government with the work of development.
“How all of us come together as social partners to deal with the challenges facing our society today will determine the kind of future we will have together,” said the Minister elaborating on the importance of the partnership between government and other development stakeholders.
As part of Project Mikondzo, the department is conducting road shows to assist individuals and groups register NPOs and ensure that the NPOs comply with the necessary provisions of the law as they relate to NPO governance.
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Lumka Oliphant
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