UMJINDI – Before the celebration of Human Rights Day in the province, four families headed by children did not have proper shelter and they relied on shacks and mud houses for a roof over their heads but that has since changed after Mpumalanga Premier, Mr David Mabuza handed them newly built houses.
Mr Mabuza handed the houses as part of delivering services to communities during the commemorative days in the province where government ensures that a basket of services is brought to communities hosting these events.
As Umjindi was hosting Human Rights Day on 21 March, various government departments working together with local councilors identified areas that they could intervene in and building quality houses was one of the projects. Four families in need were identified in Verulam in Umjindi so that they could live in decent houses and have their rights restored. These families were headed by children after their parents died.
Handing over the houses, Premier Mabuza told the young orphans that government wants to lift the difficulties that they are currently experiencing adding that handing over the houses was one of the intervention measures to address their plights. He also bought the four families beds and identified some of their needs like schools uniforms and promised that these will be soon delivered.
“Tings might be hard for you today but don’t despair, as government leaders, we request you to work on your studies so that tomorrow could be better than today for yourself and we will always help you,” Premier Mabuza said.
Responding to Premier Mabuza, two of the beneficiaries said they will work hard on their studies as they wanted to be traffic and police officers upon completing their studies so that they could help to fight lawlessness in their area.Other projects that were delivered in Umnijdi prior to the main celebration included handing over of equipment at the local gym, attire to 40 local football and netball teams, wheelchairs to ten people with disabilities, spectacles to people with poor eyesight, printers and computers to five sport councils in Ehlanzeni.
At the Umjindi Stadium where thousands gathered, Premier Mabuza said Human Rights day is a significant and important day in the country.
“The struggle for democracy and freedom in which many martyrs sacrificed their lives was a quest towards creating a rights based society anchored on the core values of democratic liberties, equality, human dignity and the progressive realization of socio economic rights,” Premier Mbuza said.