On the 26th March 2015, the delegation comprising of senior Members of the Legislature led by the Deputy Chair of Chairs, Hon. Happy Blose, visited several schools in the Zululand District to hand-over computers as part of the Speaker’s Social Responsibility Programme. The delegation included Hon. VV Tambo, Chair of Quality of Life Standing Committee, Hon. YM Nahara, Chair of Social Development Portfolio Committee, and Hon. ZM Mlaba representing Education Portfolio Committee.

Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature and the school management team at the hand-over ceremony.

Computers were donated to the needy and under-resourced schools in the deep rural areas in the Zululand District in a bid to improve learning and teaching especially in the area of science and technology. The schools were identified during the multi-party oversight visits in Zululand in 2012.

Members of the Legislature conduct routine oversight visits in all districts to check the state of service delivery in the province. The schools that were identified as needing resources such as computers included Phikwase High (KwaCeza), Heshe Secondary (Nongoma), Ntabasuka Secondary (Ulundi), King Mageba Primary (Ulundi), and Zwelonke High (Mahlabathini).

Each school received two desk top computers and boxes of sanitary towels which will benefit young girls from poor households. The Members urged schools to take care of the computers and ensure that they are not stolen by criminals. Hon. Blose said “We are aware that two computers per school is not enough, but this is a head start, look after them and use these computers to improve teaching and learning including your administration”. She further said about sanitary towels “We are grateful to the Speaker who gave us sanitary towels to handover to schools to help young girls who are in need of this commodity. This will restore the dignity of our girls whose parents cannot afford to buy them sanitary towels”.

Most schools took the opportunity to raise numerous challenges which they are facing including among others: • Shortage of classrooms which causes overcrowding • Shortage of toilets which forces teachers and learners to use toilets in neighbouring homesteads • Lack of learner transport as most children have to travel long distances to get to school resulting in late coming and truancy • Lack of school security • Shortage of school libraries and laboratories

The State of the Nation Address (SONA) by the president of the Republic of South Africa on 12 February 2015, marked the opening of Parliament and the beginning of the business of government for the current year. This is followed by the opening of the Legislatures across the nine provinces.

King Goodwill Zwelithini, Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Premier, MECs, and all MPLs at the opening of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature on 26 February 2015

The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature as directed by its Standing Rules officially opened on 26 February 2015 by His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini. His Majesty has been a source of wisdom on many important issues ranging from development, social, economic and cultural in the province. His majesty has been a champion of peace, reconciliation and unity of all the people of KwaZulu-Natal.

The salute is part of the proceedings of the day.

The opening of the Legislature by His Majesty on 26 February 2015 was followed by the State of the Province Address delivered by Honourable Premier Senzo Mchunu on 27 February 2015. The Premier outlined the programme of action for the provincial government and set out key priorities for the province during 2015/2016. The Premier (as leader of the ruling party) demonstrated his commitment to servicing the social contract that he entered into with the people of the province.

King Goodwill Zwelithini, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker after the Salute

To demonstrate that, the Province of KwaZulu-Natal has been transformed by the Executive Council led by the Premier into the peace haven and destination of choice for global investors and holiday makers from all over South Africa and the