SOCIAL Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe defended the hosting of an outreach programme by her department and the South African Social Services Agency (Sassa) at eMfuleni in Cape Town on Tuesday.
“We are not here to campaign. We are here to make sure that you receive the services at the right time. We do so dictated by the Constitution,” Tolashe said.
She made the statement when addressing scores of people who were gathered inside a hall at Nyameko Primary School while hundreds lined up outside the school premises to be attended to by officials.
The department and its entities, Sassa and the National Development Agency, have organised a week-long outreach programme that will run until 14 January.
They plan to review the impact of poverty eradication initiatives and programme in Khayelitsha and conduct an oversight visit to two funded organisations in Nyanga on Wednesday and Friday.
Tuesday’s event coincided with another government event at eMfuleni, where Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams was scheduled to hand over equipment to beneficiaries of the department’s informal and micro-enterprise development programme.
Other departments such as SAPS and Department of Women, Youth and Persons with disabilities have also lined up activities in Cape Town.
This all takes place in the build up to the ANC 113 anniversary celebrations to be held in Khayelitsha on Saturday.
Speaking to Independent Media, Tolashe insisted that there were no elections and as such they were not campaigning in any way.
“We are coming here to talk and listen to the people. We brought officials so that they can take up issues with those in authority in order to bring services,” she said.
Tolashe said the outreach programme was her national programme and that she has already been to Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal.
“This year I will be in all the provinces to ensure that services are brought to people, especially, the Department of Social Development and Sassa. Their services are needed most and those qualifying should get them.”
She also said there was a perception by the media and others that that when they come to people, they are there to campaign.
“I had to make it clear that this time I came to talk to the people and make sure they receive the services they are entitled to but also hear from them what problems they are facing.
“That is why you heard their leaders speak about the challenges that they face. In my speech I committed that we will come back to give services as the Constitution dictates and the responsibility given to me by the President as the Minister of Social Development,” Tolashe said.
Pressed about the outreach programme as part of build up activities for the ANC celebrations, Tolashe said: “I have never mentioned anything that talks to the celebrations of the ANC. The celebrations of the ANC are going to take place. I am not apologetic. I will be part of that, but as a Minister I needed to do my job to make sure I deal with the bottlenecks in the services to our people. I came to do exactly that.”