Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa says accumulation of knowledge is one way of breaking triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality.
Mthethwa was delivering the keynote address at KwesakaMthethwa, near eMpangeni, on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast.
This was during the official opening of a modular library.
Modular libraries are easily built forms of modern libraries. They are without brick-and-mortar, and offer collaborative workspace study desks and study tables that are flexible and customizable.
One of the dignitaries in attendance was uMfolozi mayor Smanga Mgenge.
About 2000 pupils from nearby schools are set to benefit from access to information from the rural part of KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast.
The facility houses books and computers with internet.
It caters for adults and children, and it’s also accessible to a defined community for reference or borrowing of books.
Community members Mzamo Ngwenya and Snabo Msane from Oyengwa High school have hailed it as another source of improving and enhancing their knowledge.
Ngwenya say: “This will help us a lot. We used to walk long distances like Richards Bay to access information through libraries.”
Msane says: “This will improve my English and it will enable me to read and write. We will now do our assignments and research with ease. There are computers with internet here which is great.”
Government has in the recent past built 19 modular libraries, especially in remote villages.
Provincial Arts and Culture MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi has urged privileged communities with these facilities to safeguard them.
“We urge our communities to take care of these facilities. This community applied for this library. I am happy that we have the support of traditional leadership who will also play a role in safeguarding it.”
Mthethwa says building libraries is one way of improving the lives of people. He says this is putting into action education as an apex priority.
“In order to break the backbone of poverty, inequality and unemployment in our society we have to encourage our youth to read and write and to accumulate knowledge.”
Government has pledged to construct more modular libraries which are cost and time-effective to build.
