Steynsburg outreach effort a great relief

MANY believe the impoverished community of Steynsburg, under the Walter Sisulu Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape, is being rejected and neglected when coming to development and service delivery.

The community lives below the poverty line and is characterised by a high unemployment rate, high level rate of crime and high percentage of youth idling with no direction.

It was a relief to learn that Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural development Mcebisi Skwatsha has roped-in other stakeholders to hear the life struggles of the people.

The deputy minister brought five more deputy ministers, three member of executive councils, mayors and nonprofit organisations who rallied behind his course to bring services and development to the Steynsburg community during the outreach programme held at Indoor Sports Centre.

Deputy Minister Sdumo Dlamini pledged the department under his portfolio will roll-out rural development programmes and the rural ICT programme aimed at youth development, while Deputy Minister Pam Tshwete applauded Skwatsha for seeing the need to help the community.

On the day, the Department of Human Settlement brought 200 food-parcels for poor households and pledged to bring housing.

Deputy Minister David Mahlobo pledged that the Department of Water and Sanitation will speed-up the process of bringing water to the people.

The outreach programme also provided an opportune moment for residence of Steynsburg to interact with government on several issues such as land issues, water and sanitation, employment and human settlements to mention a few.

The outreach programme saw Gift of the Givers pledging to bring a soup kitchen to the community.