Issued by : Ministry of Social Development
27 June 2002
Minister and Free State MEC Visit Highly Impoverished Communities in Vrede to Launch One Stop Service Centre; Distribute Clothes and Food Parcels and Assess Accessibility of Services
The Minister of Social Development Dr. Zola Skweyiya and the Free State MEC for Social Services Ms. Beatrice Boshoff, will tomorrow (27 June, 2002) at 08:00 visit poor communities in Vrede to launch a One Stop Service Centre; assist in the distribution of food parcels and clothes for the most destitute families and also assess the poverty situation.
"We hope that the launch of the One Stop Service will go a long way in helping bring some of the most needed services closer to the communities. We also want to assess whether people do access government services like poverty alleviation funds, grants for children, for people with disabilities and the elderly. Reports indicate that the communities of Vrede and surrounding areas live in conditions of extreme poverty and that during winter the situation gets worse given the high levels of destitution. We hope the clothes and food [parcels will assist the families especially children and thereby help push back the frontiers of poverty," the Minister said.
The Minister and the MEC will hold an Imbizo with communities from Vrede and the surrounding areas like Warden, Memel and Verkykerskop where food parcels and clothes from the Department of Social Development will be distributed to over 200 destitute and poor families.
The Free State is estimated to be one of the provinces with very high levels of poverty in the country with AIDS also having devastating impact on many communities.
Enquiries :Mbulelo Musi or Ms. Kgomotso Matlala
Cell :082 904 3395 or 082 886 3071