MEC Scott intervenes at Jika Joe informal settlement
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance, Mrs Belinda Scott, is working on a plan to provide a crèche for Jika Joe informal settlement children.
MEC Scott will look for donors to build a proper creche structure that will accommodate children living in the densely populated informal settlement on the eastern outskirt of Pietermaritzburg.
This comes after Scott visited the settlement twice last week in a fact-finding mission after she was asked by residents to intervene as the Political Champion of uMgungundlovu District under the Operation Sukuma Sakhe.
Currently, children are using a makeshift structure of containers for a crèche. And the structure does not comply with the norms and standards required by government. Hence Scott has taken it up to herself to find donor funding to build a proper structure.
The MEC was accompanied by Deputy Mayor of Msunduzi Councillor Thobani Zuma, senior officials from the departments of education, social development and health during the fact-finding visit in the area. They walk about through the settlement to see what the service delivery gaps are.
“Residents told us that they need houses, lot of children do not go to school, unemployment is rife and poverty is too high.
“Children are walking around open electricity line on the floor. It is a matter of time before these children are killed,” warned Scott.
She brought the government departments to get information from residents and start interventions immediately to assist the residents.
Scott donated 20 boxes of FutureLife meals for children at Zamimpilo Crèche in the settlement.
“We want every single child that lives here to be taken care of.
She is concerned that there is a lot of young girls and boys here that have left school before reaching grade 12. “We want these children to finish their matric education. We can make an intervention for these young children”.
For more information contact:
Sibonelo Msomi
Tel: 033 846 6986
Cell: 072 587 9046
