30 March 2021
The Minister of Social Development, Ms Lindiwe Zulu, will tomorrow - 31 March 2021, visit KhanyiTex, a 100% black youth women-owned and managed textile business that employs over 300 full time staff. The owners of KhanyiTex have invested in an onsite Early Childhood Development Centre (ECD), New Beginnings, which will benefit staff members’ children and Minister will officially launch it.
This visit forms part of Minister’s outreach programme focusing on youth development and gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in Pietermaritzburg - KwaZulu-Natal. Amongst some of the activities that Minister, together with MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza and CEO of the National Development Agency, Ms Thamo Mzobe, included hosting a dialogue with young women living and working on farms wherein they expressed their challenges. This was followed by the unveiling of Umzansi Youth in Business Digital Resource Centres.
In these resource centres, the youth will be assisted with various aspects of their development including business research, printing of CVs, training for interview readiness
and inclusion various social behavioural change programmes. Minister further joined MEC Khoza in the commemoration of the International Social Work Day which is
commemorated annually.
Minister Zulu had initially visited Pietermaritzburg in 2020 as part of the 365 Days of Action Against GBVF, with specific focus on areas identified as hotspots across the country. This is in line with the Human Rights Month that is celebrated in the country under theme, “The year of Charlotte Maxeke: promoting human rights in the Age of COVID-19.”
The aim of the outreach is to mobilise young people to play their part as agents of change in promoting a culture of respect for human rights, gender equality and prevention of gender-based violence, which has reached epidemic proportions in South Africa.
The most recent crime statistics released by the South African Police Service (October-December 2020) revealed a 5% increase in reported sexual offences in the midst of COVID-19 national lockdown.
Part of Minister Zulu’s outreach will include an interaction with local police to get a briefing on police response at Plessieslaer, which is one of the seven GBVF hotspots in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal.
The aim of the interaction is to support and encourage police who are in the frontline of the criminal justice system to play their part in prevention and response measures and better serve the needs of victims/survivors. Minister Zulu is a member of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) established by President Ramaphosa to expedite the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF (2019-2024). Social Development is responsible for Pillar 4 of the NSP: response, care, support, healing and empowerment of victims/survivors.
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover Minister Zulu’s outreach programme, which is scheduled as follows:
DATE: 31 March 2021
Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s 1961 Address to the All-in Africa Conference
Time: 07h30 - 08h30
Venue: Poynande Hall - Pietermaritzburg
Interaction with police management on response to GBVF
Time: 09h00 - 09h40
Venue: Plessieslaer Police Station, Old Main Road, Edendale - Pietermaritzburg
Women empowerment initiative
Time: 10h00 - 12h00
Venue: Tatham Art Gallery, Pietermaritzburg
Walkabout at KhanyiTex and launch of New Beginnings an ECD benefiting factory employees’
children
Time: 14h00 - 15h00
Venue: Valvick Business Park, 18 Green Road, Elangeni - Hammarsdale
Media RSVPs may be forwarded to Ms Sharlene Naiker on 082 673 5849 /e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Ms Nomfundo Xulu-Lentsoane on 066 480 6845/e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Media enquiries may be forwarded to Ms Lumka Oliphant on 083 484 8067 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
