Cllr Mpho Khunou, the Executive Mayor of Rustenburg, has this morning launched the #Itshireletse tuu program whose intend is to support learners and encourage them to protect themselves against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The municipality has since the advent of the pandemic mobilized and work together with business and other stakeholders to supply PPEs (Personal Protective Equipments) to needy schools and communities, to reduce the infection rate of COVID-19 and safe lives.
The schools visited today included De-hy Primary, Monato Primary, Kloof Waters Primary, and Retief Primary, all in impoverished farming communities.
At its sitting this morning, the Virtual Special Council of the Rustenburg Local Municipality had deliberated on the following items:
1. Tabling of the Time Schedule for the review of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), Budget and Performance Management System (PMS) for 2021/2022 financial year.
2. Determination of the date of Valuation of the New General Valuation Roll.
3. Proposed rules of Virtual Meetings and Sittings.
4. Progress Report on the Review of the Rules of Order By-Law.
5. Draft Ward Committee Policy Review
Delegation from the Rustenburg Local Municipality comprised of MMCs, Speaker of Council, Ward Councillor, Municipal Manager, and municipal officials led by the Executive Mayor,had this morning convened at the dam near Mfidikwe village where the two children from the nearby community drowned on 14th July 2020.
The municipality jointly with Anglo American Platinum Mine that owns part of the land at which the dam is located, is currently investigating ways to deal with the safety of the communities around the dam including the possibility of demolishing the dam.
Today, the Executive Mayor of Rustenburg – Councillor Mpho Khunou who was the main speaker at a ceremony organized by mining company – Anglo American Platinum to highlight incidents of Gender Based-Violence (GBV) as part of women’s month, said the time for talking was long over. The comments of the Mayor, come after an incident where a 10-year-old girl, was reported to have been raped yesterday.
The Rustenburg Local Municipality was represented at the event, by among other high ranking political heads including Council Speaker – Councillor Sheila Mabale-Huma and Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Public Safety, Councillor Victoria Makhaula. Mayor Khunou said, for a long time, people take a stand against incidents of gender-based violence, however, little had been done in the past to deal with this societal problem.
Mayor Khunou further said, much as the country is battling Covid-19 South Africa had long had a pandemic in the form of GBV “the truth is our mothers, sisters and children have long been in the battle, what has been worryingly absent is us, men. We need to rally behind any campaign that seeks to reverse the negative effects of GBV, lest we become a society with no women in it. It cannot be that we wait for August or 16-days of activism against women and children abuse, to speak out as men” he emphasized.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Job Shimankana Tabane Mr. Abednego Mvula, said women continue to account for most cases of persons suffering from mental and psychological conditions emanating from incidents of gender-based violence as well as work-place bullying by their male counter parts. He said, it is regrettable that such incidents happen however, they will not relent to ensure that women are treated with the necessary respect “Executive Mayor I have said, that women must come out and we must offer them support, to ensure that our reaction and behavior does not discourage them to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book. He concluded.
The department of Social Development, said it was humbled by the gesture made by Anglo American Platinum towards the NGO’s (Phokeng Trauma Centre, Thuthuzela, House of Grace and Kitso ke Lesedi) by making donations of perishable and non-perishable goods inclusive of blankets and Covid-19 PPE that will ensure that, the work continues uninterrupted and that victims receive the help they need. The NGO’s which have been identified and have also begun to receive both financial and non-financial support from the department to fulfil their mandates.
Mrs. Tumelo Dilotsotlhe of Anglo American Platinum, said the event was part of the company’s community response plan to address issues of socioeconomic conditions, which fit in with the number of priority areas the company is focusing on through collaborations.
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The Rustenburg Local Municipality has joined hands with mining giant, Anglo American Platinum to establish a new quarantine site in Rustenburg. The move comes on the back of the increasing Covid-19 infections in the City and makes Rustenburg the Province’s hotspot, a reality which has beset the mining City for over 3 months, with no end in sight. To date Rustenburg has recorded 8646 cases with 4686 recoveries as at 02nd August 2020.
Most recorded cases are from the City’s local hotspots which are Rustenburg CBD, Tlhabane, Marikana, Sunrise Park and Freedom Park. The City through the interventions of the Executive Mayor has been at the fore-front of providing solutions as the pandemic continues to ravage the region, with serious socio-economic repercussions. Today, two Members of the Mayoral Committee (MMC’s) or Public Safety – Councillor Victoria Makhaula delegated as Executive Mayor and MMC for Community Development Councillor Nombulelo Xatasi, met with a delegation from Anglo American Platinum.
The purpose of the meeting, was to conduct an inspection in loco at the Municipality’s Ben Marais Hall. The Municipality had committed to availing facilities to assist with the establishment of a quarantine site, this comes from the strategic social partnership between the Municipality, other government departments and the mining sector known as the IGR Forum on Covid-19.
The team from Anglo, had brought technical personnel to assess the current state of the facility which will house Covid-19 patients, a team of medical practitioners as well as technical support staff to manage the centre which will be administered by the Department of Health. The quarantine site, will mitigate the existing gap where some Covid-19 patient, fail to self-quarantine thus compromising the safety of others through movements.
MMC Makhaula, said the Municipality remains committed to playing the necessary part in this multi-stakeholder collaboration to help the people of Rustenburg, especially those who have impacted directly by the virus. Ben Marais, has previously been used by the Municipality to house homeless people, at between March and May 2020. The facility which was managed by the Department of Social Development housed over 80 homeless people, who have since been relocated to Rustenburg Recreation Centre.
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