Speech by the Honourable
MEC for Health and Social Development Mr Seaparo Sekoati on the
Occasion of the Handover of House Number 2614 Namakgale
Date:
23 March 2007
Venue: House Number 2614, Namakgale, Phalaborwa
Programme Director
The Provincial
Commisioner of the Dept of Correctional Services
Mayor of
Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality
The CEO of MRTT Councilors
Area
Commisioner
Government officials present
Ladies and
Gentlemen
It is my pleasure to
address you in this historic event in Namakgale, Phalaborwa. It is
historic because it is the first time in our province that we have
seen such partnership of intergovernmental, cross-province and
national departments in practice. The beneficiaries of this occasion
are Mme Moagi, the parolees and probationers, and the community of
Phalaborwa.
The Department of Health
and Social Development in Limpopo is proud to be part of this event
that proves that together we can fight and eliminate poverty in our
communities. When we were approached to choose a beneficiary, we
chose Mme Moagi not only because she is a pensioner but that she is
also looking after two orphans. The house she was leaving in was of
high health risk and an intervention of this nature was fitting. Our
social workers in this regard did a marvelous job.
More interesting is that
the house was renovated by parolees and probationers who were
imprisoned for doing wrong against society. They learn the skills to
build during their time in prison as an effort by the Department of
Correctional Services to rehabilitate them. Their involvement of
renovating this house is another way to say we are sorry and can now
play a meaningful role in society.
Poverty is eradicated in
two folds: first by upgrading the life of the pensioner and her
dependents. They are out of the danger of an unhealthy and
depressive environment; secondly, creating chances of employment for
parolees and probationers. For a change poverty is on the back foot.
Programme Director;
allow me to give a word of encouragement to our colleagues in the
Department of Correctional Services for initiating this project. We
want to give our special appreciation to the Mpumalanga Regional
Training Trust for the getting out of their way to offer extra
materials such as tiles and other extras and the technical
assistance, without which the project could have had the desired
outcomes. The role played by the Department of Labour through the
Skills Development Fund in ensuring that there are funds available
to train parolees and probationers was significant. Our role was to
identify the needy and we and hand over to the deserving family.
Lastly, Mme Moagi
together with your son and the two foster children, enjoy your stay
in your renovated house.
I
thank you
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