The MEC for Health Dr. SM Dhlomo
The Chairperson of the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders Inkosi P Chiliza
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen of the media
Good morning.
As explained by the Programme Director, we are here today as part of an ongoing campaign by government to fight social ills such as drugs and alcohol abuse, the abuse of women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities and all forms of crime.
We are also here to launch a campaign dubbed Azibuye Emasisweni which is aimed at among others reviving the spirit of Ubuntu among our people and elevating the role of traditional leaders in the fight against social ills.
Ladies and gentlemen, you will remember last year Swayimane made headlines across the country with the horrific incidents of the rape of elderly women. Those horrific incidents prompted us to focus our attention on this area with the aim of establishing what could possibly lead to such horrendous acts. We have found that high levels of substance abuse high levels of poverty due to unemployment.
While we were dealing with those incidents, similar acts were reported across the province. The 4 months between July when the Swayimane incidents took place and October were the worst 7 elderly women were raped and assaulted and 4 elderly men and women were robbed and murdered.
These acts against the most vulnerable forced us to take action to protect the elderly. The Department of Social Development then announced the launch of Day Care Centres for the elderly and we said then that the first centre would be built here in KwaSwayimane. We engaged Inkosi Gcumisa who gave us a site and we are here today to do the sod turning on that site in preparation for the work to begin. The first phase of this centre which will be a Day Care Centre will cost R5 million. At a later stage we will add an Early Childhood Development Centre and an administration block. A contractor has already been appointed for this first phase and the company is expected on site as soon finalise a few administrative issues.
The Day Care facility we are building will be a sanctuary for the elderly, reducing the time older persons spend alone during the day which makes them vulnerable to thugs. We would like to also take this opportunity to renew our call to families and the community at large to take greater care of the elderly.
This centre will also create jobs for the community, we will be asking the contractor Charlie’s Construction Company to give priority to locals and only bring skills that are not available in the area. We will also be asking them to ensure that when they pack up their tools at the end of the contract, they leave behind skilled people who will be able to fend for themselves.
I thank you.
