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17 January 2022 Joint Media Release: SALGA Western Cape hands over a cheque of R54 862 to Kwamdlezane Baby Care Centre as part of its Mandela Day initiative for 2021

Joint Media Release: SALGA Western Cape hands over a cheque of R54 862 to Kwamdlezane Baby Care Centre as part of its Mandela Day initiative for 2021

For Immediate Release
17 January 2022

The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) Western Cape in collaboration with the Executive Mayor of Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), Alderman Memory Booysen identified Kwamdlezane Baby Care Centre in Plettenberg Bay as part of SALGA’s initiative for Mandela Day 2021. A cheque of an amount of R54 862 has been handed over to the centre, on Monday, 17 January 2022 by SALGA and the Executive Mayor.

During his keynote address, Ald. Booysen said that their municipality tends to focus on primary and high schools when they do outreaches, however, after discussions with my Mayoral Committee, they have decided to shift the focus towards Early Childhood Development centres (ECDs).

Kwamdlezane Baby Care Centre own is a centre headed by a 25-year-old Sipeshihle Mafani, who took over the centre from her mother when she passed away in 2017. Mafani thanked SALGA and the Executive Mayor for the funds donated to the centre. She said it will be used for the better upkeep of the children accommodated at the centre.

“Thank you for your continued support. This donation will definitely go a long way in sustaining our mission and it will definitely make a difference in the centre,” she said.

GRDM Mayoral committee member for financial services, Cllr Anco Barker said the municipality needs to bend a tree while it’s young. This means that the GRDM should make an impact on the lives of ECDs.

“We tend to forget that we need to start making a difference to the lives of community members when they are still young,” said Barker.

She also thanked Kwamdlezane Baby Care Center committing to report on how they will share the funds donated to them.

2021 marked 12 years of Nelson Mandela Day Celebrations under the theme “Take ActionInspire Change – Make Every Day a Mandela Day”, Action Against Poverty” while Mandela Day calls to action remain a general call to reach out to those in need, SALGA’s focus was to be on the challenge of food security, sanitation and ECD work.

Since the pandemic, this devastating reality worsened. Staff members at SALGA were called to support efforts related to these goals during Mandela Month 2021.

SALGA Western Cape’s Provincial Director of Operations Mr Khalil Mullagie mentioned that they meant to do the donation in July last as part of SALGA’s Mandela Day initiative. But due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the project was delayed.

“Covid-19 disrupted our plans last year, as a result, this project was delayed. But we are happy that we got to finally handover the much-needed funds to Ms. Mafani’s centre,” said Mr Mullagie.

He further said that, with the help of the GRDM, they identified this centre as the suitable beneficiary, because the Principal of the ECD is a young person contributing to her community by creating jobs through the centre.

End

Issued by: South African Local Government Association Western Cape
For further media enquiries, please contact:
Joyce Moholola
082 874 9222
jmoholola@salga.org.za

Herman Pieters
081 4555 699
communications@gardenroute.gov.za
Chief Communication Officer
Garden Route District Municipality