The Minister of Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, has sent a strong warning to people misusing grant money meant for children and the elderly, saying government would not hesitate to take action against them.
She recently visited Mhinga village, one of the villages characterised by many child-headed familes. Mhinga is a typical South African village, where the prevalence of HIV/Aids, economic migration, and abandonment, among other reasons, led to a high number of child-headed households.
The meeting gave locals a platform to talk to Dlamini and to describe their challenges. During the event, Chief Mhinga also presented a memorandum to the Minister.
Some of the problems discussed with Dlamini included youth unemployement because of a lack of skills, poor social infrastructure such as roads, schools health facilities, the high levels of alcohol and drug abuse, as well as a high rate of teenage pregnancies. Non-governmental organizations and early childhood centres complained that they were not receiving adequate funding.
In response, Dlamini said the government would do its best to see that the lives of villagers at Mhinga were changed for the better. She also handed Christmas hampers to 475 elderly citizens from the village.