Sekhukhune This Week

Our executive mayor Cllr Namane Dickson Masemola had to digress from the real issue on Friday last week as he presented the district’s budget speech.

There was no way he could eschew talking about the abominable incidents of xenophobic attacks, which had gripped the whole country.

A number of foreign nationals residing within the district – in Mohlaletsi to be specific – had been subjected to harassments of all sorts.

Masemola said xenophobia is a crime against humanity. Indeed it is.

Let’s hope everybody got the message and will from now on learn to live in harmony with our fellow African brothers and sisters, and recall how they supported us while we were fighting the behemoth that was apartheid.

Now, let’s look on the positive side of things.

We concluded the series of commemorations marking the 50th Anniversary of Sekhukhune Revolts in Mohlaletsi on Saturday last week.

These events showed that the people of Sekhukhune have pride about their history and heritage. Above all, they recognise the role played by the older generation in liberating the country.

They even showed that the xenophobic attacks were deeds of a few uncouth individuals, as they came in numbers on Sunday to dance and feast with the displaced foreign nationals.

June is also a youth month. The district has a number of events lined up, starting with the launch by Mayor Masemola on Friday evening.

In the next coming weeks, Sekhukhune This Week will run a series of articles that will be unpacking the district’s budget and activities of the Youth Month.

For the record, Sekhukhune is a fairly new institution. It was established in 2001 with a budget of R3-million.

Today its budget stands at R803 043 652. Through tireless work and dedication, things are gradually being turned around to improve the lives of the people.

Come 2025, targets of the Development Growth Strategy would have been achieved.

Thanks.