Remarks by the Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Ms Faith Muthambi, during the handing over of a house to the Manganyi family at Mukhomi/Gumbani Village (Maranatha Church), Limpopo Province
Programme director;
The Manganyi family;
Member of the Limpopo Legislature Hon. MM Ramadwa;
Mayor of Collins Chabane Local Municipality Cllr TJBila;
All Councillors present;
Hosi Mukhomi;
Ndhuna Macevele;
Mr Reuben Mosefuwa, founder and managing director of Mosefuwa Administrators Group;
Mr Mosefuwa Snr;
Ms Malebo Dikola from Mosefuwa Administrators Group;
The entire team from Mosefuwa Administrators Group;
Businessman Mr GV Baloyi;
Mr Dumakude, of the Traditional Health Practitioners Forum;
Brigadier Marungane from SAPS;Traditional Leaders Forum;
Religious Leaders Forums;
Residents of Mukhomi/Gumbani villages and neighbouring areas;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Good morning;
We gather here today for this bittersweet ceremony, of the handing over of a house to the Manganyi family. As we hand over this house, which marks the completion of a good project, we do so being overwhelmed by mixed emotions.
I say it is a bittersweet ceremony because something good is happening here today, with the handing over of the new house to the Manganyi family. However the wounds which were inflicted on all of us by the passing on of our beloved Rirhandzu are still fresh and painful. We all know the cruel manner in which this family and this community lost one of its children in the hands of criminals who have no respect for the life fellow human beings.
We are comforted by the fact that our law enforcement agencies have swiftly moved to try and bring the perpetrators to book. All of us want to see justice for this family and for this community. We encourage our law enforcement agencies to work hard in fully resolving this case and similar cases in this area. We also urge community members to work closely with the police, by providing information whenever there are elements of criminality in society. Everyone in this community must be able to learn that crime does not pay, and that no one is allowed to end the life of a fellow human beings for whatever selfish reason.
Ladies and gentlemen;
Today’s ceremony should also be about reflecting on some of the lessons that we as people we must learn from the events that happened here in the past five months. When we leave here today, each one of us must be able to say that we have learnt something from all the messages that have been preached here by various speakers.
But besides from learning from the words, we must learn from the actions of other people as well.
The first lesson that we must take out of this event is that if we work together everything can be possible. This is the reason why as government we are always preaching the message of “working together we can do more”. This is because we have been taught by the leadership of our governing political party, the ANC, that everything can be achieved if people work together.
The completion of the house project that we are handing over today, is a result of traditional leadership, business, and government working together. Of course we can never forget the active involvement of the community.But also importantly the involvement of our local journalist Mr Bishop Baloyi, who notified us of the tragedy that had happened. This proves that indeed if we work together we can always achieve more.
Ladies and gentlemen;
What I am trying to paint here is a picture of a community which understands the importance of active citizenry. Active citizenship means people getting involved in their local communities and democracy at all levels, from villages to cities to nationwide activity. Active citizenship can be as small as a campaign to clean up your street, or lending your helping hand to a poor family which is in need, as you did here at the Manganyi family, or as big as educating young people about democratic values, skills and participation. Active citizenship is one of the most important steps towards healthy societies especially in new democracies such as ours.
It was through a local journalist Mr Bishop Baloyi, that some of us learnt of the tragedy that had happened here in July. Mr Baloyi as a local journalist understood that his role includes making various stakeholders aware of situations that requires their attention and interventions in society. This must teach other journalists that their role does not only end in reporting stories about the poor, but includes assisting citizens by connecting them with relevant institutions and people who can assist them. We must therefore applaud Journalist Bishop Baloyi for playing an active role as a citizen, and for his contribution in this project. This community will continue to benefit through his craft of journalism.
Ladies and gentlemen;
When we arrived here to give our support to the Manganyi family, we found that HosiMukhomi had started to mobilise community members to assist the family by contributing towards the funeral. That symbolised the traditional leader who works closely with his community, more especially in times of need.
As community members we must always help each other, more especially those who are less fortunate. I was impressed that this community was starting to heed the call by their traditional leader, to lend their helping hands to this Manganyi family.
As you all know that the gruesome murder of Rirhandzu shocked the entire district, and that the plight of the family was made known by our media, it touched the hearts of many people. But one of the people who was touched by the living conditions of the family is Mr Reuben Mosefuwa, who is businessman. Mr. Mosefuwa is a Founder and Managing Director of Mosefuwa Administrators Group, the company that he established in 2007. When he visited the family during the preparations of the funeral, he decided to join hands with all of us in order to assist the efforts that have been started by HosiMukhomi and the community. Together, through his contributions, we were able to ensure that the late Rirhandzu received a proper and decent burial.
Ladies and gentlemen;
You will recall that during the funeral, all of us agreed that everything possible must be done to ensure that the family gets proper and decent accommodation. Through assistance from businessman, Reuben Mosefuwa and local traditional leader, HosiMukhomi, wewere able to secure this newly built house for the Manganyi family. Once again it shows that if traditional leadership, local business, and government, can work together, we can move South Africa forward.
I want to take this opportunity and thank HosiMukhomi for working with us during this project, and for providing a piece of land on which this new hose is built. I must also thank Mr Reuben Mosefuwa, for helping with the contributions valued at R150 000.00, towards the building of the house that we are handing over today. This project also helped in terms of community empowerment. Let us give Mr Mosefuwa a big round of applause. We really wish him and his business well, and we hope that the business can continue to grow so that it can assist and employ more people.
Mosefuwa Administrators Group currently have 222 employees nationwide. This is kind of businesspeople we want in our country. We want businesspeople who empower our people through employment and through community uplifment donations. To Mr. Mosefuwa, we say; “The hand that gives is more blessed that the hand that receives”.
Ladies and gentlemen;
As community members you must also work together to establish and strengthen community projects that are aimed at alleviating poverty and uplifting your living standards. We want to see more community based co-operatives such as the Tiantswiseni co-operative, which has been supported by the DTI.
Our government support co-operatives because we see them as a perfect vehicle to create employment for our people, and to get them into the formal economy of our country. I am comforted by the fact that members of this community knows about the importance of forming co-operatives as I was been briefed that a number of co-operatives were once formed, although some of them are struggling.
Our ANC led government has made a commitment to our people that we are going to do everything possible to fasten the pace of economic transformation, by helping the majority to partake in the formal economy of the country. Therefore you must work closely with your local municipality in order to access information on how you can be assisted to grow your co-operatives.
As government we are serious about radical socio economic transformation because we want all our people to participate meaningfully in the economy. We must instil a culture of hard work amongst ourselves, and work together through these community co-operatives.
Ladies and gentlemen;
The bad practice of ritual murders in our district and our province must come to an end. We are happy that businesspeople, traditional leaders,traditional health practitioners, and politicians are standing together to raise their voices against this bad practice.
Businesspeople such as Mr Mosefuwa are showing us today, that businesses only grow through taking care of clients, advertising, and through giving back to the community. Businesses does not prosper through murdering people for their body parts. Killing of other human beings is inhuman and must be condemned, and punished I the strongest terms.
We are also comforted by the fact that we have traditional health practitioners who are also saying these cruel acts must never be done in their names. We appreciate the support of the Traditional Health Practitioners Forum, and the messages that they have been spreading in the fight against ritual murders. If we work together we can defeat this criminal elements in our society.
Ladies and gentlemen;
As we conclude the 16 days of activism campaign I want to emphasise the message of unity. In honouring the memory of our beloved Rirhandzu, whose life was cut short in a violent manner, you must stand together and fight against women and child abuse, more especially the brutal killings of our women and children.
This year’s theme is “count me in: Together Moving a non-violent South African forward”
As government we have always used this period to spread the message of peace and harmony within our families and society. This year we urge all of you to be involved in fighting and exposing deeds of violence against women and children, even beyond the 16 days period. You must make it a 365 days campaign.
We must raise our children in a peaceful environment, wherein they are able to learn that violence is not a proper way of resolving differences.
All of you must join hands in condemning the killing of women children in the country. Our traditional leaders, community leaders, religious leaders, and teachers, must be able to identify situations wherein women and children are being abused, and report such acts to relevant authorities. As government we are always committed to make our communities safe, and we have put in place several legislations that specifically deals with violence against women and children.
In conclusion;
Through this house, we wanted to give the Manganyi family the human dignity that they deserve as human beings, and we hope that although the wounds of losing their daughter in a cruel manner are still fresh, they will find some little comfort as they continue to move one with their lives. We also thank all the people and organisations that have supported this family over the past five months. Today we have realised that indeed if we work together as social partners, we can always achieve more.
I thank you!
