Since the outbreak of violence in Vuwani and surrounding areas in the Vhembe District, stories of courage showing the will and resilience of the people of the area to root out violence, have been many and available for all to see.
A shining example of caring and the unfailing desire to promote peace in the Vuwani area was seen in the participation of school children of Vuwani as guests of the Minister of Communications Ms Faith Muthambi in the post-Budget Media breakfast briefing of the Department of Communications.
Muthambi, a member of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Vuwani, invited 6 school learners from Vuwani, young women who participated in a recent event on Social Cohesion, to the briefing as part of the “Take a girl child to work” campaign. Once again, government and those who met in the morning in Woodmead, Johannesburg for this briefing, echoed the call for education to resume.
Guided by their understanding of the challenges in Vuwani, the delegates also shared the sentiments of government that parents must jealously guard their children’s right to education. “There can be nothing as important as the education of a child to secure fully the dreams of our nation as contained in the National Development Plan” Muthambi stated following the breakfast.
The recent media report suggesting that negotiations and discussion about a lasting solution to Vuwani, have collapsed because there is a court process by the community, is simply not accurate. The community has the right as everyone else to seek redress from a court of law, but the engagements on other issues will continue, especially now that the mediation panel has been brought into the discussions.
The challenges in Vuwani have affected the education sector negatively, but it is major progress that a number of schools are back in operation and learning and teaching is continuing. We need to remember that the inclusion in the Bill of Rights of a special section on the Rights of the Child, was an important development for South African children.
This right has worried many parents in this area who have been calling on educators and learners to go back to class for the sake of the future of their children.
It is therefore important for parents to ensure the opening and the full operation of the schools in Vuwani areas, instead of complaining without action and taking our children to other schools. Hence government calls for the total opening of all the schools in Vuwani and the surrounding areas, as other people cannot afford to move their children from non-fee paying schools to the ones that pay fees.
As part of ongoing work by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Vuwani, the Minister of Communications, Hon Faith Muthambi (MP), will tomorrow Friday, 27 May 2016 lead a second Social Cohesion Community Information Session at Tshikonelo in partnership with civil society organisations, the Tshikonelo Traditional Leadership as well as the Moral Regeneration Movement.
The session will deliberate on programmes aimed at promoting Nation Building and Social Cohesion.
This session comes on the heels of a very successful session held between the government, civil society formations, the Traditional Leadership and the community at large in Tshino on Monday, 23 May 2016.
The Friday, 27 May 2016 Community Information Session will serve as a platform to solicit community inputs towards nation building and promoting coexistence among communities through active community participation.
Furthermore the session will profile Youth development programmes particularly on post schooling opportunities encompassing access to higher education and training, skills development and entrepreneurship.
The session will also canvass messages of support from institutions such as the Moral Regeneration Movement, COSAS and SACONO, the Tshikonelo Traditional Council, to mention a few.
It is in this context that government calls on communities in Vuwani and the surrounding areas to come together as united people. We urge communities to play their part in ensuring that all ethnicity and tribalism is not allowed to control our lives.
“As government we will continue to work tirelessly with all willing partners to ensure that we bring the situation to normality in Vuwani and the surrounding areas. We are aware that the continued engagements and partnerships between government and communities can bear positive fruits”, said Minister Van Rooyen.
Enquiries:
Legadima Leso
Cell: 082 378 9495
