Minister Madikizela to Devote His 67 Minutes In Strand and Mfuleni

As part of the Nelson Mandela International Day celebrations tomorrow on 18 July 2015, the provincial Minister of Human Settlements, Mr B.S Madikizela will be devoting his 67 minutes to take part in two events in Strand and Mfuleni.

The first event will be to participate in the painting of homes in Nomzamo informal settlement in Strand with a fire retardant paint that has the ability to reduce the rapid spread of shack fires.  The painting is part of a broader, privately driven initiative to increase the safety of informal settlements through the use of fire retardant paint and Minister Madikizela and the wider community will be painting a minimum of 67 dwellings on this day. Please find the details and map is attached.

Time: 09:00 – 11:30

At the second event of the day Minister Madikizela will be changing the life of a 40-year old Ms Nonkawulezo Khonco who will be receiving her new home in the Youth Brigade Project in Bardale, Mfuleni. The home has been specially equiped to cater for the special needs of Ms Khonco, and is representative of the Departments strategic focus to prioritize the limited housing opportunities available for the elderly and the vulnerable.

The Youth Brigade programme aims to develop young people to be active participants in the built environment.

Since the start of 2012, the Western Cape Human Settlements Department has been involved in a number of initiatives to empower youth in the various People Housing Process (PHP) projects that it is in the process of implementing. Unemployed youth in a community where a housing development is about to start are identified and trained in basic building skills and then placed on the construction site to apply their skills in a mentored environment. This is aimed at providing a stepping stone for youth who can then choose to further their careers in the construction industry or built environment as bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, project managers, construction controllers etc. The focus is on economic empowerment and self-employment and the programme is linked to Housing projects for the purpose of employment and sustainability.

Currently the programme focuses on 3 main areas which are; apprenticeships, learnerships and artisan development. The intention is to provide a form of exit opportunity for all the trained youth within the identified project as well as a number of other projects within other regions in the Western Cape, so as to ensure some employment as well as to ensure that the youth that have been trained, can hone and enhance their skills.

Media are invited Details are below:

Date: 18 July 2015

Time:  12:00 - 13:00

Venue: 24 254 Anele Street, Bardale, Mfuleni, Cape Town