Durban — If South Africans are expected to overcome poverty and inequality, communities should be provided with opportunities for development to prevent them from flocking to urban areas.
KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza on Monday told the youth of ward 29 in the Alfred Duma Local Municipality that her department planned to quip them with much-needed skills through training at the department’s youth academies.
Khoza told the community to fight poverty because it remained an impediment to human growth and development.
She said the level of unemployment among the youth and the general population of the province meant the youth needed to embrace every opportunity in an attempt to improve their quality of life.
Residents of Sithole and Zwane clan pleaded with the government to fast-track service delivery and help them beat widespread poverty that plagued the community.
Last week, at another such government-community imbizo, the residents called on the Department of Social Development to help fight the spread of drugs that destroyed their youth.
The women of Siyaphambili Women Development received an NPO certificate and R100 000 cheque to help the education sector with school uniforms for the schoolchildren in the area. They will purchase sewing machines and other materials for their business to start operation.
A group of young people organised as an NPO and received R100 000 to assist them open an internet café. The internet café will help local youth apply to institutions of higher learning and also to apply for jobs.
“This is a group of young people that will also work with the department to fight social ills raised by the residents in this area,” Khoza said
She said her department would be consistent in equipping local youth with skills that would change their lives for the better.
Inkosi Ngqayizivele Sithole said he was hopeful that such opportunities will be a good start to dealing with poverty affecting the youth in the area.
“We want to see all these organisations start working and ensure that the lives of the people change for the better,” Sithole said.
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Daily News