In marking the birthday celebrations of Nelson Mandela on Tuesday, the provincial government departments together with Mahikeng Local Municipality in North West were hard at work delivering essential basic services to various needy communities across the province.
The theme for this year's commemorations had been coined as "It is in your hands".
Acting Premier Nono Maloyi, together with the MEC for Agriculture & Rural Development, Desbo Mohono, were in Chaneng Ward 32 in the Rustenburg Local Municipality of the Bojanala District to issue out gardening implements, livestock and a newly-built house allocated to a needy resident in that village.
The gardening implements are intended to be used at the community's vegetable garden
Maloyi, accompanied by Members of the Executive Council, handed the house over to Peter Mahlangu who has been staying in a dilapidated shack.
Mahlangu, together with other community members were also recipients of livestock like goats, chickens and seedlings donated by Mohono through government's food security programme.
The Mahikeng Local Municipality under the leadership of Executive Mayor Tshepiso Mphehlo started their day by cleaning at Lapologang High School in Montshioa.
According to municipal spokesperson, Elliot Moncho, Council chose the school because it is where the current Comrades Marathon Champion, Tete Dijana schooled.
"We chose to dedicate this Mandela Day by honouring Tete Dijana, who has made the province and the nation at large proud, hence we chose to clean at his former school," Moncho said.
Municipality officials then proceeded to the dumping site next to Mahikeng Provincial Hospital, popularly known as Durban, to issue out food parcels to those scavenging there.
"As the municipality, we felt that we could make a difference in people's lives on this special day of commemorating Nelson Mandela and hand them healthy edible perishables, different from what they scrape for every day at this dumping site," Moncho continued.
The municipality's journey stopped at Lorwaneng in Ward 15, where Ward Councillor Kgomotso Sechogo had identified a family of more than 30 people who share an RDP house as well as an old dilapidated mudhouse.
Moncho reported that the Mahikeng Local Municipality, in partnership with Mmabatho Palms issued out groceries and blankets to the family.
"The Mayor has made a humble plea to have the media assist us in profiling this family in our efforts to alert the Provincial Department of Health as well as the business community about the family's plight. This is done in accordance with Nelson Mandela's principles of caring for the needy and the vulnerable living amongst us," said Moncho.
Meanwhile, the MEC for Education Viola Motsumi handed over a newly-built Mamodibo Secondary School fitted with high quality facilities to the community of Mogogelo Village near Brits, as part of her 67 minutes of celebrating Mandela Day.
The building construction of the school started in December 2020 and is valued at R89 million. The school has 25 classrooms, administration block, computer laboratory, dining and nutrition centre, school tuckshop, sport change rooms, a kombi, sport courts, parking lot and a security fence.
Departmental spokesperson Mphata Molokoane stated that the gesture by the MEC Motsumi comes after she made a commitment during her maiden speech that the province was aiming for a spot in the top three positions when the matric results are announced at the end of this year.
"The North West Department of Education has built a school with high quality facilities that learners can use and utilize to improve their knowledge and abilities. This project created 131 temporary jobs in Mogogelo village," said Molokoane.
Mandela Day is celebrated annually on Nelson Mandela's birthday, on July 18 and it gives people an opportunity to make a positive impact in their communities by making a difference in the lives of the needy. This year, under the theme of "It is in your hands", residents, government, business sector and private organisations, NGO's and NPO's came together to contribute towards turning the tide against food insecurity and climate change in honour of Mandela's legacy.
