Emotions high during launch of Hlayisani Waste for Food Management programme
Deputy Minister Bogopane Zulu told attendees how she spent six weeks in hospital because of the community of Nsikazi.
Yesterday emotions ran high at Emanyenveni during the launch of the first-ever Hlayisani Waste for Food Management programme.
The start of the programme was delayed due to some community members citing allegations of not having been involved in the preparations of the launch. They alleged that companies owned by locals were not considered for catering services. They also questioned on how the non-profit organisation will benefit the community.
Delivering her speech, the deputy minister of the Department of Social Services, Hendrietta Bogopane Zulu, voiced her disappointment with the community of Nsikazi.
“It is clear that this community doesn’t want me. Each time I launch a project here I am made to feel pain. I don’t know what the people mean when they say they were not aware of this project which we started talking about years ago,” she said.
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“We had community dialogues in all 14 wards of the Nsikazi Region allowing the community to tell us what they want in terms of development here,” she said. Bogopane Zulu mentioned a number of incidents where the community of the area fought her while launching projects to benefits them.
“I remember what happened on August 20, 2015 at Nsikazi Stadium, I clearly remember this day because it happened immediately after the death of my father. I became so ill that I ended up in a wheelchair, but because I love rural community development I made it to that event that day when the community fought me, insulted me… fighting over catering issues and other issues,” she said.
Bogopane Zulu added that she spent another six weeks in hospital because of the community of Nsikazi.
