EThekwini Municipality has put smiles on the faces of 60 senior citizens from Clermont after they received food parcels and social assistance during commemoration of Elderly Month this morning.
The food parcel recipients were elected from different wards in the Clermont area and were identified through Operation Sukuma Sakhe, a programme aimed at assisting poor members of society who need urgent government intervention.
Several Government Departments and Non-Government Organisations were present to assist the elderly with social grant registration and to empower them with information on mental wellness.
Representing Mayor Cllr James Nxumalo, Cllr Nellie Nyanisa said the Municipality recognised the role played by the senior citizens in building the country.
“Our senior citizens are very special to us and we thank them for their role in liberating this country as we celebrate 20 years of freedom and democracy. We are also proud to say that we have brought government services closer to them to make their lives easier,” she said.
Seventy-three-year-old, Christina Mncwabe, was elated to be one of the beneficiaries of the food parcels.
“Tonight I will have food to put on the table for my children and grandchildren. I am also happy that the elderly are recognised and remembered by our Municipality. My advise to the youth is to listen and respect the elderly and focus on education so they can prosper in life,” she said.
The day also coincided with a clean-up at the nearby Vezunyawo informal settlement which was led by youth volunteers as part of the Clean and Maintain My City programme.
Cllr Nyanisa said: “We want to encourage our people to clean up the areas they live in. We are working with young people and we want them to be ambassadors of this campaign in their communities. We want our youth to be active in their communities and not to engage in counterproductive activities like drug abuse and crime.”
