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.

Ends

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)

8 FEBRUARY 2022

TO ALL MEDIA

REPORTED CHAOS, EDUCATORS’ FIGHT AT A SCHOOL, THE KZN EDUCATION PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE INTERVENS

The Education Portfolio Committee has taken it upon itself to visit the school in the Zululand District after reports of educators fighting amongst themselves during school hours and in front of the learners.

The Committee will undertake this oversight visit on the 12 February 2022 at 10am. “The reports of this school are appalling, it is beyond anybody’s imagination that educators who we know should be exemplary to our children would do such a horrible thing”, said Hon Sifiso Sonjica, the Chairperson of the Committee.

The Committee has resolved to conduct its oversight work by visiting this school and observe for itself many disturbing incidences reported and provided to the Committee.

“Unconfirmed reports of lack of necessities such as water, electricity, grass not being cut at a school with just under 150 learners, with 13 classrooms but only 5 educators. We do not believe we want to see for ourselves what school is this school”, Hon Sonjica said in shock.

Telephonic media interviews will be arranged for reporters.

End

For more information, contact:

Wesley Canham
0833767299
Media Liaison and PR

KZN EDUCATION PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE CONGRATULATES THE CLASS OF 2021

The Portfolio Committee on Education in the KZN Legislature commends the Matric class of 2021 “on the outstanding achievement despite the difficult year”, said the Chairperson, Hon Sifiso Sonjica.

Hon. Sonjica on behalf of the Committee, appealed to those who have not passed to never despair and to consider alternative forms of empowering themselves as they are needed to make their contribution in building our communities. “Educators and parents have worked so well in most communities to bring about this 76.4% pass rate and we are excited and commend the work of the department in ensuring that systems are in place to support teaching and learning in a year where much time was lost due to, for example, the July unrest, and the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Hon Sonjica sends a strong message to parents who use their community issues to disturb teaching and learning and appeals to all parents to work to ensure that learners are not disturbed as they sit in classrooms to invest in their future.

“Next week we are embarking on the Schools Functionality Monitoring Programme to assess the readiness of schools as we start the new academic year. Some of the things we are looking at are working relations between communities and schools and the functioning of School Governing Bodies,” Sonjica concluded.

End
For more information, contact:
Wesley Canham
0833767299
Media Liaison and PR