DR BOGOPANE-ZULU TAKES A BACK TO SCHOOL TO AMAJUBA DISTRICT

• Deputy Minister Dr. Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu launched her District Development Model (DDM) outreach in Amajuba, starting at Holy Trinity Church in Dannhauser Local Municipality. She stressed the importance of Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) complying with NPO regulations by submitting necessary documents to the registrar.

• Dr. Bogopane-Zulu highlighted the crucial role of FBOs in community development and social transformation in South Africa. She urged churches to maintain NPO compliance, reinforcing their impact on societal progress.

• During the outreach, the Deputy Minister reminded elderly congregants about the Grant-in-Aid, emphasizing its availability for those requiring full-time care. She also discussed the Child Support Top-Up grant, designed to assist relatives caring for orphans and encourage familial environments for these children. The elderly received blankets, walking sticks, and dignity packs, enhancing support to vulnerable members of the congregation.

The Deputy Minister of Social Development, Dr Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, serving as the District Development Model (DDM) champion of Amajuba, commenced her DDM outreach in the district today at Holy Trinity Church in Dannhauser Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. During her visit, the Deputy Minister emphasised the significance of Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) ensuring compliance by submitting their documents to the NPO registrar.

“Our community is impoverished, it is sometimes difficult to be on the pier preaching the word of God, knowing that some of the congregants do not have food to eat, nor the resources to get any,” said Mr Nkosinathi Dladla, pastor at Trinity Ministries.

“The role of FBOs in South Africa play a significant role in community development and social transformation. It is important for churches to be compliant as NPOs and submit their documents” said Dr Bogopane-Zulu.

The Deputy Minister reminded elderly congregants about the Grant-in-Aid, stating, “If you’re unable to care for yourself to the point where you need full-time care from someone else, then you qualify for an additional monthly payment from the government called a grant-in-aid. You can’t get a grant-in-aid on its own; it must be in addition to you receiving an old age, disability, or grant.”

The Deputy Minister further spoke of the Child Support Top-Up grant which was introduced to assist relatives caring for orphans to provide for their basic needs. The grant encourages families to keep orphaned children within their extended family environment without removing them from familiar households.

The elderly congregants received fifty blankets; twenty five walking sticks and fifty dignity packs to vulnerable children in the congregation. 

4 March – Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu will participate in the back-to-school campaign by delivering refurbished computers and furniture from the Department of Social Development to two schools in the district. This initiative aims to narrow the digital gap in preparation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Digitisation has transformed the global economy, providing children in rural communities with equal access to Information Communication Technology (ICT).

Later in the afternoon, Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu, in collaboration with the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), will distribute school uniforms to learners at Bergsig LSEN Special School. This institution caters to learners with learning disabilities across a wide spectrum, situated in the eMadlangeni Local Municipality.

The handing over of uniforms aims to restore the dignity of the pupils under SASSA’s programme called Social Relief of Distress, where needy and qualifying learners receive school uniforms from the Agency.

The District Development Model serves as a mechanism to realign service delivery and enhance implementation through a seamlessly coordinated and comprehensive national program of action. Its objectives are to streamline a government approach in addressing challenges related to poverty, unemployment, and inequality, with a particular focus on women, youth, and individuals living with disabilities.