Thousands converged at the Stanza Bopape stadium in Mamelodi for the two-day commemoration of Women’s month hosted by the Moses Mabhida Foundation at the weekend. Elderly women, mostly widows and pensioners, also received blankets from the Dawn Welfare Organisation.
Annie Matime, chairperson of the Gauteng branch of the Moses Mabhida Foundation said the two-day event was part of an ongoing women’s development programme established with Dawn, a welfare organisation which was formed by Pakistani and Indian business people in South Africa.
“Apart from empowering women we will also be helping the destitute, the aged and orphans in Mamelodi. We will tackle drugs, women and child abuse and look after the frail and child-headed households,” she said. Matime said with the help of the department of social development, a fully-fledged Moses Mabhida Foundation office was recently opened in Mamelodi.
“It is fully equipped with one social worker, two auxiliary social workers, eight lay counsellors and a centre manager. All of them are paid employees,” she said.
Guest of honour, Bathabile Dlamini, Minister of Social Development said August is an important month because it is the only time when women and their struggles are celebrated.
“During the struggle, women were at the forefront of the struggle and kept the home fires burning. They still do yet today, every day is a man’s day and we only get one day and a full month. But I am here today to tell you we must celebrate ourselves every day,” said Dlamini.
She urged the grannies and Mamelodi women in general to be at the forefront of fighting social ills.
“We have the scourge of drug and alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancies, women and child abuse as well as rape largely because you are silent. It is now time you sit up and say ‘this will not happen in our name’.”
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