UN aid for KZN rebuilding work
THE Kwazulu-natal provincial government’s rebuilding efforts have received a boost following the United Nations’ pledge of R20 million in catalytic resources.
Of the whole amount, R10 million was allocated to support educational interventions, R7m for social cohesion dialogues through community radio stations and R2m to support gender-based violence shelters.
To give effect to this intervention, Premier Sihle Zikalala and resident coordinator and head of the UN in South Africa, Nardos Bekele-thomas, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) yesterday at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC in Durban.
The MOU identified priority areas in which the province and the UN will collaborate to assist communities and entities as part of the rebuilding efforts. It provided details on governance issues, reporting mechanisms, monitoring and evaluation. The MOU gives a six months time frame for the parties to report back on progress.
Zikalala said: “Working together, we will focus on immediate targeted interventions to address issues facing the communities affected by the civil unrest and looting in Kwazulu-natal.”
“In this regard, we have prioritised the economy, ensuring the continued provision of social services, addressing food insecurity, provision of infrastructure and advancing social cohesion.”
Zikalala said the partnership with
the UN was critical in the provincial efforts of building enduring peace and advancing sustainable development where no one was left behind.
“As we strengthen our law enforcement and put in place plans to mitigate future occurrences, we also agree that we need to get to the root causes of anti-social behaviour in KZN and
indeed in our country.”
“In this regard, we share the sentiment by the UN resident coordinator that people need a stake in the economy because then they will protect it, not destroy it.”
The premier said he was committed to ensuring that the spirit and intent of the MOU was translated into tangible
benefits that would promote sustainable development, heal the people, unite them, and restore their dignity.
“The economy that we rebuild after the coronavirus pandemic should be one that is inclusive. The country had growth of about 3%, but the challenge is that the growth did not include job creation.”
Bekele-thomas said the UN intended to complement the ongoing efforts of the KZN government while avoiding duplication of efforts.
“The MOU marks the next stage of our relationship with the provincial government of KZN and its people. It speaks to the commitment we made to the government of South Africa, through the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, to further the national developmental agenda at a sub-national level,” Bekele-thomas said.
The MOU comes off the back of just over a week-long civil unrest that engulfed KZN and parts of Gauteng following the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma in July. The riots claimed more than 300 lives in KZN and caused damages amounting to billions, shrinking the province’s gross domestic product.
More than 40 000 businesses were affected. and more than 1.5 million people were left without an income due to the unrest, according to the Durban Chamber of Commerce.
The signing ceremony received messages of support from University of Kwazulu-natal’s Professor Urmilla Bob, who represented the academic sector, Bishop Rubin Phillips, representing social cohesion and moral regeneration council, Gladwin Malishe, deputy president of the Durban Chamber of Commerce, representing the private sector, Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza, representing the provincial house of traditional leaders, and Avril Williamson, the director-general of Cogta.