Your Worship, Executive Mayor of Ekurhuleni, Councillor Mondli Gungubele
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Social Development in Ekurhuleni Councillor Makhosazane Maluleke
Councillor Simphiwe Saul
Principal and Staff of David Bopape Early Childhood Development Centre
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen
It is with a sense of pride and joy that we gather this morning to officially launch a centre which gives an opportunity to our children to receive comprehensive development.
Most of you will recall that this centre was established as a result of the closure of five unregistered crèches which were not suitable for early childhood development.
Instead of just closing down those crèches, we opted for a developmental approach.
We did not only build a new structure but we also trained the teachers to equip them with requisite skills for early childhood development, and we spent 7 million rand to build this centre.
Program director,
Early Childhood Development falls within the ambit of the five priorities that have been identified by the ANC government for the current term of office.
It is the ANC government’s conviction that children need to be thoroughly prepared for formal education, hence the importance we attach to Early Childhood Development.
Even though this crèche is situated in one of the economically depressed areas of our province, it is important that our children, no matter where they live, reap the fruits of our liberation.
As we are about to complete 17 years as a liberated people, we cannot afford to neglect intellectual and social development of our children.
Our children are entitled to access opportunities which were not available to them before 1994!
This calls for commitment from all us because this is not the sole responsibility of government. Parents, teachers, the community, including the religious sector, have a role to play in this regard.
This is therefore a call to make a difference in the lives of our children.
Program director,
The stage at which children enter the phase of Early Childhood Development is very crucial in their intellectual and social development.
The investment that we commit in their development has long term implications on them as productive and responsible citizens.
Hence Early Childhood Development should never be reduced to children, eating, playing and sleeping.
Appropriate programs that prepare them for school should be part of their daily activities.
Intellectual stimulation and development of children is paramount that is why our department ensures that they also receive health services that will enhance their formation.
As the ANC government continues to invest in the development of our children, we are all called upon to protect these little ones.
As teachers instil values and skills which will equip them for the future, as a community we are called upon to ensure that they do not fall through the cracks and graduate into victims of abuse, be it physical or sexual.
It is our responsibility to protect them from all forms of abuse.
It is also our responsibility to ensure that they grow up being healthy children in order to be productive South Africans!
Hence we have prioritised immunisation programmes in order to ensure that they do not die from preventable illnesses.
I hope the leadership of the crèche will work hand in hand with our health promoters to ensure that not a single enrolled child falls through the cracks with regard to all immunisation programmes.
If there are any children who do not have “road to health” cards, we will assume that they have not been immunised and we will send our health professionals from the nearest public health facility to immunise them.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Ekurhuleni Municipality for having collaborated with us in delivering this Early Childhood Development Centre.
I thank you.
