Secunda - A Mpumalanga municipality has established a unit to address the needs of young people, children, senior citizens, women and people living with disabilities.
Mayor of the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality in Secunda, Lindi Masina, said the transversal unit was established as part of Youth Month.
She said significant strides had already been made to halve unemployment amongst the youth through programmes such as IT learnerships and the Expanded Public Works Programme and Community Works Programme.
"These interventions have provided young people with short to medium term job opportunities and skills. We are assuring all youth structures and interested stakeholders that in the 2012/13 financial year, we will prioritise the youth and people with disabilities, (who meet) the criteria for these programmes," added Masina.
She said the 1976 generation stood tall and grounded "even when it became fashionable to be flamboyant".
"They never hesitated to criticise that which sought to undermine the principles and values that an egalitarian society stands for. These gallant fighters were vocal inside and outside South Africa. They taught us to be always on the side of the weak and the poor," Masina said.
The mayor urged today's generation to become drivers of change and lead from the front.
She said the change should be within the context of government's five key priorities, which are education, health, economic development, safety and security and rural development.
"Like Hector Peterson, Mbuyisa Makhubo, Tsietsi Mashinini and many others did, let us all instil the culture of service and sacrifice to champion the plights of the weak and poor.
"May the immortal spirits of these selfless cadres serve as a foundation stone with which we construct a new egalitarian world. All South Africans, both black and white must answer to the clarion call of nation-building and social cohesion," said Masina.
