This was said by the MEC during the official opening of the Klarinet Library. She said she was there to witness an important milestone in the lives of the Klarinet community, where they will cease to walk long distances to access information.
The library was officially opened on Friday, March 20.
“The ANC led government has committed itself to bring service closer to the people and we are today officially opening Klarinet Library and handing it over to the community, so that they can utilize it fully to arm themselves with relevant knowledge that will advance their quest of improving their living conditions. This is a well equipped library that boasts the latest technology and offers various books for learning and reading for both young and old.”
She said the library was opened during Human Rights Month where there will be commemoration of historic events that took place in Sharpervile and Langa on March 21 1960. In those places masses of people were killed when they protested against the apartheid draconian legislation of forcing people to carry what was called dompass, which restricted the movement of people.
She said the government wanted to ensure that the doors of learning shall be open to all and that the people of Klarinet will have right to information which they will access from the library. She further explained that the government has taken a decision to reaffirm the rights of all South Africans, which is enshrined in the constitution and is the cornerstone of democracy and the supreme law of the country.
Mahlangu-Mabena reminded the people that since 1994 the ANC led government has put in place various initiatives that are geared towards entrenching various rights to all citizens, in particular children, women and people with disabilities. These initiatives include the formation of Chapter Nine Institutions. She also said that all people should respect the constitution of the country.
A moment of silence was observed in respect of the late minister of public service and administration Mr Collins Chabane who died in an accident with his bodyguards.
“To the community of Klarinet, we want to impress upon you that the library today belongs to all of you and that you should jealously guard it and ensure that it is not vandalised and you should refrain from the unfortunate tendency by other communities who see centres of service delivery as government property not theirs. When those communities protest, they often burn down libraries and clinics, forgetting that they will suffer as they will have to walk long distances to access services. This kind of behaviour needs to be condemned in the strongest possible terms and be uprooted.”
Mahlangu-Mabena said the Klarinet Library was another good story to tell by the Mpumalanga government led by Premier D.D. Mabuza. She said they were moving in all regions of the province rolling out services to communities. She mentioned that the library should serve as source of knowledge to all, as the government wants to contribute towards eradicating illiteracy in the community.
“We will be encouraged to build more libraries when we see our people fully utilising them and become agents of education, which without doubt plays a pivotal role in the human development by offering skills development and programmes. We call upon the community of Klarinet to establish Klarinet Friends of the Library to ensure community participation in everything that happens in the library, and this should also involve protecting the library against criminal elements that may attempt to vandalise the library,” ended Mahlangu-Mabena.
