The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance, Ms Belinda Scott is serious about poverty alleviation and to touch base with the people of the province, as she and a team of senior department officials from different Business Units will on Friday, 17 April 2015, visit specific areas in Mtubatuba to among other things, hand over uniforms to the identified needy children as well as undertake a house-to-house visit with budget literature in a bid of engaging people at a grass root level on money matters.

The MEC for Finance has re-configured the department’s Outreach Campaigns which used to be in a form of gatherings in community halls, with catering for the masses, transport, toilets, music system, among others, which usually result in a huge expenditure that is attached to this nature of the outreach.

The new approach, according to the MEC, entails reaching out to non-governmental organisation (NGOs) and Non Profit Organisations (NPOs) or some legitimate (registered with the provincial Department of Social Development) social formations, for example, that serve poor or challenged communities. In the list of needs, (since some of these Institutions are not funded) one or two is /are identified and attended to by the Department or a sponsor is sought to address that particular need.

The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Treasury has undertaken to provide tangible support, with financial resources allowing, to certain legitimate community-based organisations in the form of NGOs, NPOs or Cooperatives that contribute in poverty eradication in various ways in communities. This initiative will kick-off in Mtubatuba, north of KwaZulu-Natal.

The MEC intends starting with an NPO called Sukumani that is located in ward 17 in Mtubatuba, Uthungulu District. This NPO cares for 70 HIV-positive and orphaned children from birth right until they can stand on their own. These children go to crèches and schools in the area. However, 30 0f these children have been identified as extremely needy and poor. They do not have school uniform and this has the potential to negatively affect their schooling.

Moreover, an Agricultural Cooperative, names Isilungiso, has also been identified as a beneficiary of 3 Jojo tanks to store water pumped from the river. Isilungiso Cooperative is made up of a local group male and female members who are all HIV-positive and are on ARVs. Instead of crying over unemployment which is rife in the area, they sought to start their own garden/s (3.5 hectres of land) where they plant a variety of vegetables to eat, sell to locals and even distribute to a local supermarket. This, however, has not been plain sailing as they encounter a number of challenges, among which are lack of a generator to pump water from the river for their plants, containers to store pumped water and a park home for use by members to ensure security for their plants due to theft.

It is for this reason that KZN Treasury again secured help from Absa Bank on behalf of this Cooperative. Three Jojo tanks are being purchased by Absa Bank as a donation to Isilungiso Cooperative and these (or a dummy check in the absence of the tanks) will be presented to Isilungiso on Friday by Absa Bank and Treasury.

All media houses are invited to be part of this ground breaking initiative in the sequence of events which are scheduled as follows:

Sequence of events and time structure for Friday:

1. Visit to Isilungiso Cooperative
Time: 10H00-11h30
Venue: Isilungiso Vegetable Field (Southern part of Ward 2- a rural part of kwaMsani Township).

People attending: MEC, HOD, Treasury staff, Representatives of Absa Bank, Members of Isilungiso Cooperative, Representative of the Department of Agriculture, Cogta and EzeMvelo Widelife as well as community of ward 2.

2. Door-to-door at KwaMsani Township.
Time: 11h30-13h30
Meeting point: KwaMsani Off-ramp (eCrossini)
Direction on households visits will be obtained at the meeting point.

3. Hand over of School uniform to children of Sukumani Organisation.
Time: 14h00-15h30
Venue: Isilungiso Organisation

For more information, contact:
Musa Cebisa
Cell: 071 687 8777