Residents of the Central Karoo have held discussions with government officials about challenges in their communities at an imbizo hosted in Laingsburg.
Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Pam Tshwete and her counterpart from the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Mcebisi Skwatsha, visited the region accompanied by Executive Mayor of Central Karoo District Municipality, Cllr Gayton McKenzie, to unpack governmental programmes and plans aimed at enhancing service delivery and creating job opportunities.
The event was also attended by institutional stakeholders within the sector of human settlements who held exhibitions to provide information to community members on how to access socio-economic opportunities.
Happening Alongside the DDM stakeholder briefing is a services fair & exhibition by sector dept. & institutions to disseminate information on how to access socio-economic opportunities to alleviate the scourge of poverty & unemployment in the area. #HousingTheNation pic.twitter.com/3gMQavapwL
— Human Settlements (@The_DHS) November 18, 2022
This community imbizo and services fair forms part of the government’s interventions to accelerate service delivery through the District Development Model (DDM) supported by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
With a high unemployment rate and a lack of proper housing in the area Laingsburg residents hope that the visit will bring actual change.
“Number one is unemployment, number two is housing. I’m a dad of four kids and I still sleep in a shack. I’m unemployed. What I’m asking is, I don’t have qualifications but give me general work so I can put some food on the table. They promise people houses. People talk amongst themselves, but when the big wigs of the government is here then nobody talks about it. It just gets thrown off the table,” said a community member who was in attendance.
Happening Alongside the DDM stakeholder briefing is a services fair & exhibition by sector dept. & institutions to disseminate information on how to access socio-economic opportunities to alleviate the scourge of poverty & unemployment in the area. #HousingTheNation pic.twitter.com/3gMQavapwL
— Human Settlements (@The_DHS) November 18, 2022