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Pretoria: 22 Juy 2021
The marking of the United Nations endorsed international Nelson Mandela Day often involves the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), through its Corporate Social Investment and Sustainability (CSI&S) fund, identifying causes and communities in the country towards which to lend a helping hand and this year’s event was no different.
Working jointly with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), recipients of SAMSA’s poverty alleviation intervention in 2021 comprised a group of disadvantaged residents of two informal settlements in the Northern Cape’s Siyancuma Local Municipality – Campbell and Grikwastad – who, despite being nestled within a stone’s throw of the confluence point of the Vaal River and the Orange River, yet battle daily with access to adequate water.
This year, the Nelson Mandela Day on 18 July, fell on a Sunday. SAMSA and SALGA thus chose Tuesday morning, 20 July 2021 for the online symbolic handover event. During the event participating officials described the targeted communities as mostly poor and lacking in basic social services infrastructure.
On the one hand, Campbell – originally known as Knovel Valley and then Groote Fontein, and later named after the Reverend John Campbell – was described as a small town situated on the edge of the Ghaap Plateau, some 48 km east of Griquatown. It’s twin sister, situated some 168 kilometres west of Kimberley was in no different position.
The target group in the two settlements comprised the aged, child-headed homes as well as the physical challenged. SAMSA and SALGA working jointly with the Siyancuma Local Municipality, said they were providing them with 200 specialised water drawing vessels known as Hippo Rollers and the bulk of which are scheduled to be delivered in person during the month of September 2021 – Covid-19 pandemic conditions allowing.
For a glimpse of the informal settlement areas in two towns, click on the video below.
Addressing invited guests to the online event on Tuesday morning, SAMSA Acting CEO, Ms Tsepiso Taoana-Mashiloane described the agency’s concerns as well as sustained passion to assist disadvantaged communities across South Africa’s nine provinces as consistent with and in keeping with former statesman and South Africa’s first president of the democratic era, the late Nelson Mandela’s generous spirit and advocacy for ubuntu (humaneness).
Quoting Nelson Mandela, she said: ““We can build a society grounded on friendship and our common humanity – a society founded on tolerance. That is the only road open to us.”
She added: “The plight of rural people in South Africa has been highlighted by many policy studies, and significant public awareness has been created via the media. Broadly, while about 50 percent of the South African population is rural, rural areas contain approximately 72 percent of those members of the total population who are classified as poor.
She described the identified communities of Campbell and Griekwastad as falling within this category. “The area has a population of about 37 000 people encased in approximately 10 000 households, with 37 percent of these households headed by females. The main economic activity in the area is agriculture and mining. Only about 42 percent of the households have piped water inside their dwellings, while about 90 percent have electricity for lighting.
“Given this context, the SAMSA intervention delivered through our CSI and Sustainability programme, is designed and intended to contribute to the Siyancuma Local Municipality’s efforts of bringing basic services to the community in the area,” said Ms Taoana-Mashiloane.
On the partnership with SALGA for the second successive year, she said: “We pride ourselves with forging effective partnerships that will have a positive and sustainable impact on identified communities.” For her full remarks, click on the video below.
Representing SALGA were the body’s senior advisor in the Northern Cape province, Mr Johann Ruiters and SALGA provincial operations manager, Ms Madeleine Brandt; and representing the Siyancuma Local Municipality was Mayor, Councillor Patrick McKlein and Councillor Johannes Musike.
All were appreciative of the SAMSA corporate social responsibility intervention for both its immediate direct positive impact to people in the targeted areas of the municipality but also for its example to other State and private sector institutions.
For Mr McKlein and Ruiters remarks, respectively; click on the videos below.
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Owing to both historical and current socio-political dynamics, the rural communities here, although settled in an area that by some accounts is endowed with some of the world’s best natural resources, with massive maritime economic development potential; remain poor, marked by high unemployment rates.
SAMSA has keenly participated in the global annual event locally to honour the South African statesman since its launch by the United Nations Assembly about a decade ago.
Mbizana is the birthplace of the late ANC president, Oliver Reginald Tambo and whose national centennial celebrations are ongoing this year in honour of his immense contribution to South Africa’s liberation struggle.
