To all media

20 April 2022

KZN Education Portfolio Committee mourns the passing on of learners

The Education Portfolio Committee expresses its sincere condolences to the families of learners who have passed on due to the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal Natal. “We were witnesses to severe destruction of school infrastructure and with that came the shock of learning that we have lost a number of learners across the province.” Hon Sifiso Sonjica the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee speaking on behalf of the Committee continues; “we send our deepest condolences to all affected families and learners, and share the pain these families are feeling.  The committee acknowledges the work that has been done by government and the department so far, we call on the department to continue to do all it can to assist affected schools and learners with physiological help amongst other things. It is in times like these that we expect maximum benefit from various existing private and public sector partnerships as we seek to rebuild our schools, and so we call on all good corporate citizens to lend a hand as we face such difficult times”.

Amongst the many learners the province has lost are; Sibongukuhle Ncanana in King Cetshwayo, and Azokuhle Zama Grade 4 and Grade 6 respectively both from Overport Primary School in Durban “We are very saddened by losing such young lives”. The committee will be visiting some of the affected schools and families following the legislature program where MPLs will visit affected communities in various district today and tomorrow, 22 April.

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For more information, contact:

Wesley Canham                                

0833767299                                                   

Media Liaison and PR

20 April 2022

Media Statement

KZN MPLs COMMIT TO OVERSEE DISASTER FUNDS’ SPENDING

Members of the Provincial Legislature will be deployed to the five districts that were affected by the recent floods which wreaked havoc in the province leading to the declaration of the State of National Disaster by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday.

Honourable Speaker Nontembeko Boyce said Members will be deployed to these districts to conduct oversight to ensure that what was being reported to the legislature was indeed happening in the ground.

The legislature is mandated by the Constitution to make laws, encourage public participation and exercise oversight over the provincial government departments and its entities.

Tomorrow, immediately after the Provincial Prayer Day, Members of the Provincial Legislature will visit various wards in Ethekwini Metro to assess the damage and engage all stakeholders. On Friday Members will visit the districts of Ilembe, Ugu, Uthukela, King Cetshwayo and Umgungungndlovu.

“The devastation in Ethekwini could have been so well reported because it is a Metro and has access to members of the media but we do not have the full picture of what exactly happened to the other districts,” she said.

She was speaking in a special sitting called for the Honourable Members to debate the Executive statement delivered by Premier Sihle Zikalala on Wednesday where Members from all political parties expressed shock at the level of destruction caused by last week’s rains.

Members also welcomed the declaration of the State of National Disaster saying they will ensure that the funds which will be released to fix infrastructure and respond to human sufferings caused by the rains will be properly spent.

Minority Front’s Thakur Rajbansi and Economic Freedom Fighters’ Vusi Khoza called for the establishment of a multi-party committee to oversee the expenditure of the funds which will be earmarked for the disaster.

Other political parties such as Democratic Alliance condemned the conduct of the ruling party saying its’ activities were un co-ordinated and compromised by factionalism that has engulfed the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal.

Democratic Alliance leader Francois Rodgers said the recently elected ANC faction in Ethekwini has taken over the co-ordination of the activities relating to the disaster in the metro effectively side-lining the mayor and the metro.

Rodgers also took a swipe at Zikalala for allegedly having a water tank delivering water to his private residence in La Mercy. But Zikalala hit back saying he had been approached by the community and he called a meeting with representatives of the provincial government and Ethekwini Metro.

“The community approached me to assist and they did that because the Democratic Alliance councillor in that ward who is supposed to be helping them is nowhere to be seen. Maybe he is staying in some leafy suburbs with all amenities,” said Zikalala.

Leader of the Official Opposition Velenkosini Hlabisa warned against corruption and theft of resources earmarked for the desperate communities.

He said there is so much “trust deficit” that the billions of rands deployed as relief measures will not be received with gratitude but will be received with cynicism because the public think that those in power, together with their friends, will steal the money.

“Trust deficit on government is a measure challenge that we face as a country,” said Hlabisa.

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Issued by KZN Legislature Communications Unit

Contact Nomusa Phungula at 0718510085, Sina Nxumalo at 0829060449, Wonder Hlongwa 0829083532 or Wesley Canham at 0833767299

THE INCREASING NUMBER OF SENIOR CITIZENS KILLINGS IN MKHANYAKUDE BY PEOPLE CONFUSING DEMENTIA WITH WITCHCRAFT

There has been a growing number of Senior Citizens killings in Mkhanyakude on allegations of witchcraft. This has triggered a swift intervention of government to conduct awareness campaigns in this district in order to teach people about dementia and its associated symptoms. This disease is common to elderly people. In most cases it is associated with sleepwalking, state of automatism and forgetfulness.

There has been reported cases of possible dementia especially in Jozini and Ubombo where Senior citizens have been killed for alleged witchcraft.

A house was attacked and burnt after the grandmother was suspected of witchcraft. The grandmother and her granddaughter were killed and burnt inside the house.

In November 2021 at Ekulingweni area, the grandfather and the grandmother were both shot at after they were suspected of witchcraft. The grandfather died on the scene and the grandmother died in hospital after having informed the police about the identities of the perpetrators.

On the 16 March 2022, the Standing Committee on Quality of Life in the KZN Legislature, under the leadership of Hon. Phumzile Mbatha-Cele, held a public meeting in Khonya Hall at Jozini to discuss the issue of the killings of the senior citizens for alledged witchcraft. Accompanied by Social Development, SAPS and Department of Health the committee engaged the community about dementia and its symptoms in order to ascertain the level of understanding amongst the people of this area, where there is a high concentration of such senseless killings. Committee held that young are amongst those who needs thorough education on dementia. A big chunk of this killings is caused particularly by lack of understanding of how vulnerable our elders are to this kind of disease and its related symptoms. Young people are regarded as active participants of crimes directed to old people possibly suffering from dementia.

After thorough deliberations from all stakeholders including the community, the committee resolved that:

SAPS must establish a unit that will focus on handling all cases involving older persons.
Government must abolish the means test so that Senior Citizens be treated equally.
The Department of Social Development in partnership with other stakeholders must initiate a process of building at least one old age home per District. Alternatively build service centres that can assist in implementing active aging programmes for older persons.
The Department of Justice must speed up the processes of cases involving older persons (as most elders tend to forget the sequence of event quickly which might be necessary for court proceedings)