On Tuesday, 26 June 2018, Executive Mayor – Patricia de Lille visited the KwaKhanya Community Home-based Care Centre in Khayelitsha where, along with Mayoral Committee for Area Central, Cllr Siyabulela Mamkeli, and Cllr Phelisa Sweetness Mzolisa, the City of Cape Town handed over a shipping container, wheelchairs and walking sticks to the centre.
The handover event comes days before the month when the country comes together to serve the most vulnerable and commemorate the centenary celebration of the birth of the father of our democracy, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
Each year in July we see a marked increase in volunteerism to improve the lives of the most vulnerable in our communities, while we celebrate the heroes who sacrificed their time and lives for the betterment of others.
In honouring Tata Madiba in this way, we must emulate his life’s example where each day was dedicated to serving others. We must all go beyond the 67 minutes for Mandela Month to do even more for those in need.
Support centres like KwaKhanya, where six home-based caregivers and staff do valuable work each day and look after residents affected by HIV/Aids, including the elderly and vulnerable children in Khayelitsha.
As Mandela said: ‘There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.’
There are many children and senior citizens who need our help and each day that we take hands to tackle social ills together, we can brighten up someone’s day or help shape their destiny for the better.
My call is that each resident must amplify their work on an ongoing basis so that we can make even greater strides in building a caring and inclusive city.
Last Thursday, the City donated a container to the centre as a shelter against the wet and cold of Cape Town’s winter. The centre has already moved into the container and caregivers have started to hold their daily support groups.
KwaKhanya’s six home-based caregivers visits the elderly and residents around Site C in Khayelitsha who may be affect by HIV/Aids. Every Thursday the centre hosts a support group with elderly residents and on Fridays vulnerable children are supported with programmes, discussions and activities.
When I visited the centre, a women’s support group gathered to offer each other support while staff and caregivers shared information and members participated in the making of beaded crafts.
Many of our residents face challenges of mobility and access to facilities. We each have to do our part to help our vulnerable residents overcome impediments.
One of the recipients of our wheelchair donation is Lutho Sitali (17) who attends a support group at KwaKhanya. She was disabled after a stray bullet hit her.
Other recipients are Nobona Fuba (49) and Nombeko Qomoji (65), while Siziwe Manyathela (78), Nomhle Sodidi (41) and Mileka Nyoni (70) received walking sticks.
These small acts of kindness give full effect to the City’s Organisational Development and Transformation Plan (ODTP) to create a caring, safe and inclusive city.
Community donors and a church also donated bottled water and sanitary towels to residents at KwaKhanya. This showed the open hearts of many of our residents and I expressed my thanks for their compassion.
I also shared information about the City’s Social Development Department programmes. The City offers support services to assist vulnerable groups and senior citizens such as home-based care and recreational activities. The City has also budgeted nearly R3 billion in the upcoming financial year to provide rates rebates and indigent relief to our elderly and vulnerable residents.
We have seen time and time again that when we empower vulnerable groups, they are able to make positive contributions in their communities.
I hope to see thousands of Capetonians out on the streets across the city this July to spend more time assisting fellow residents in need. Let us all work together and create a Cape Town that is more caring and inclusive of all our citizens.