Zulu motivates homeless people in Mpumalanga
“Being homeless and destitute is not the end of the world, but you can work your way up the ladder of success.”
MIDDELBURG – Those were the inspirational words said by Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu when she paid a courtesy visit to shelters for homeless people in Middelburg today before she also visited the Nkangala treatment Center.
This was part of her service delivery monitoring visit which she’s been doing throughout the country.
As part of the ongoing national response measures to contain and mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, Zulu first conducted a monitoring visit to a temporary shelter for persons living on the streets and a Child and Youth Care Centre.
The purpose of Zulu’s visit to the service points was to assess the implementation of the Department’s response on COVID-19 and to ensure compliance with the lockdown regulations.
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She was impressed with the set up at both centres as she also witnessed local businesses and communities dropping off food at the centres. Added to that, her department and the provincial department of social development led by MEC Thandi Shongwe and Steve Tshwete municipality’s mayor, Cllr Tsietsie Tolo donated protective equipment and sanitizers to the centres.
Speaking to the homeless, Zulu further said: “I pity you to find yourselves in this situation, especially the youngsters. Never make the mistake I made at the tender age of 16 when I had a child and quickly followed with another one, thus disappointing my grandmother who brought me up. After that blunder, I rededicated my life and focus on education. Here I am today, a Minister and have actively participated in the liberation of the country.
“If I did it, you can do it too and work your way up towards reuniting with your families and playing a meaningful role in society,” she stated.
The national roadshow is in response to the declaration of the state of national disaster by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 15 March 2020, hence the Department of Social Development is working jointly with municipalities across the country to provide temporary shelters for persons living on the streets.
This is part of a wider national effort to contain the spread of Covid-19 amongst this particularly vulnerable and high-risk group. To date, the Department has set up 163 shelters that provide temporary accommodation, meals, psychosocial support, healthcare services and other basic necessities.
There are currently over 14 000 homeless persons receiving these services in various shelters throughout the country. The Middelburg shelter renders services to 63 persons living on the streets, comprising 5 females and 58 males.
All the shelters are expected to comply with the lockdown regulations such as prevention and infection control measures, screening, maintenance of strict hygiene standards and social distancing guidelines to limit the spread of the virus.
The Middelburg Care Centre renders care and support services to children and youth in need of care. Currently, the centre has 108 children, hence Zulu handed over personal protective equipment to help protect essential workers on the frontlines of the Department’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
MEC Shongwe, on the one hand, reiterated Zulu’s words and promised the homeless that she will make a follow up visit, as she’s always hands-on, together with her administration staff who actively oversee the welfare the homeless and destitute communities through the distribution of food parcels, rehabilitation, social grants, caring for people with disabilities and early childhood development in the province.
