GRATEFUL GOGO GLORIA DAMBUZA ENCOURAGES SOUTH ARICANS YOUTH TO SEIZE OPPORTUNITIES

By Precious Mupenzi

• Gogo Gloria Dambuza, a 72-year-old resident of Imbali Township, encourages the youth to seize the opportunities available in post-apartheid South Africa, highlighting the strides made in education, healthcare, and social welfare.
• Speaking during a community dialogue session hosted by the Department of Social Deployment, Gogo Dambuza expresses gratitude for government support, including the recent R100 increase in the old age grant announced by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana.
• With a focus on the future, Gogo Dambuza calls on the youth to engage in advocacy programmes addressing social challenges like substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, gangsterism, and gender-based violence, urging them to participate actively in shaping the country’s future through voting and civic engagement.

The country’s youth have been encouraged to grab opportunities available to it with both hands.

“During the apartheid regime, opportunities were limited. Going to school was a privilege, some of us could not go to school because of the school fees. Today, there is free education and free health care services, and even the unemployed youth is receiving a grant. 

As we are celebrating 30 years of democracy, remember the efforts of our caring government and the gains of the last 30 years,” says 72-year-old Gogo Gloria Dambuza from Imbali Township in Pietermaritzburg.

She had been speaking during the community dialogue session held in Imbali by the Department of Social Deployment in a bid to open a conversation and engage the community, particularly the youth on the issues of democracy and reflection thereof.

“There have been a lot of improvements in our country. Looking back to the past 30 years one should be proud of our government. The government has never forgotten the elderly people. I am a pensioner and I use my money to take care of my needs and my grandchild. The government is working tirelessly to ensure that we are prioritised in everything, including clinics. It feels really good to be a senior citizen in this country,” said Dambuza.

She also expressed elation over the R100 increase in the old age grant, Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana announced the increase during the 2024 Budget Speech held in Parliament recently.

In announcing the increase the minister said that the government was sensitive to the increase in the cost of living for the nearly 19 million South Africans who rely on these grants to make ends meet.

Minister Godongwana stated that grant beneficiaries excluding SRD grant beneficiaries will increase from 18.8 million in 2023/24 to 19.7 million in 2026/27, adding that the child support and old age grants make up 64.9% of the government’s total grant expenditure over the next three years.

Gogo Dambuza uses her pension money to support herself and her grandchild. She stated that the government has done a lot for her and she is grateful, adding that the government of South Africa is a caring government.

“Ngijabule kakhulu. Siyabonga kuHulumeni wethu,” said the pensioner.

Despite the social ills affecting the area of Imbali Township, Gogo Dambuza said that she was positive about the future of the South African youth.

She further encouraged the youth to vote, stating that it is now their time to take the country forward by making their voices count.

“We need to intensify advocacy programmes on substance abuse, HIV/Aids, gangsterism, and gender-based violence. By doing so, we will be able to combat the scourge of social ills affecting our communities” concluded Gogo Dambuza.