Issued by: Ministry for Social Development
9 August 2000
PRESS RELEASE
The Minister for Social Development, Dr Zola Skweyiya, has said that the high level of illiteracy, poverty and lack of infrastructure in rural areas, especially in KwaZulu-Natal was impacting negatively on women in accessing essential social welfare services like disability grants, child support grants and pensions. "I call on women to get organised and unite in fighting poverty and HIV/Aids and urge non-governmental organisations, religious formations and traditional leaders to assist women to access the social welfare services, especially the child support grant," Minister Skweyiya said.
The minister said that many women and families were not accessing the child support grants to which all children below seven years are entitled because many did not know about it because of illiteracy and lack of access to communication facilities.
The Minister was speaking while visiting welfare poverty eradication projects in the areas of Ingwavuma, northern KwaZulu-Natal, on his current visit to KwaZulu-Natal for four days. The ceremony was attended by MEC for social welfare KwaZulu-Natal, Prince Zulu, who urged women to apply for projects on poverty eradication to the government.
Miss Z B Mbahamali, representing the flagship project, thanked the government for the R200,000 given to women in Bambanani for their poultry project.
The occasion was attended by 1000 people, including traditional leaders, to commemorate National Women's Day.
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Ministry for Social Development.