Pretoria - Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mbali Hlophe, today showered senior citizens and people with disabilities some festive season love and appreciation.
Hlophe was at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville to spend time with the senior citizens and people with disabilities for a day filled with love, laughter, music and gifts.
The initiative was part of a vision of Gauteng government to create a self-reliant society for all, in which vulnerable groups are also taken care of and reminded that despite their circumstances, they are loved and appreciated for everything they are and everything they have done to build society.
Hlophe saw said the event was a platform where elderly citizens could be appreciated and thanked for their selfless giving to family, significant others, and the community.
"As we all know that this season is for giving, and as the government, we want to do exactly that,” said Hlophe.
The MEC handed over blankets to wheelchair-bound Regina Dlala, 81, who lives at an old-age home in Eersterust.
"We have come here to Atteridgeville in Tshwane to have our provincial Christmas Day to celebrate our elderly and differently-abled citizens.
“We understand that society tends to treat them as individuals who are less important, because they are not able to be as economically active as everyone else.
"We want to remind them that they are a very important sector to us and that is why it is important for us to celebrate Christmas with them, share lunch with them and also give them goodies to go back home with."
Hlophe said the elderly would appreciate blankets, particularly now because this time of the year tends to be rainy, chilly and cold.
She said the elderly played an important role in transferring knowledge to younger generations and as such, they can play an important role in educating young people about agriculture. They could show them the importance of taking agriculture seriously to learn to produce food and become self-sufficient.
Dladla said she was very happy that the government remembered the elderly and disabled in times like these when everybody was usually focused on young children who need Christmas clothes, and the youth who are out having the time of their lives.
Nomsa Khusela, 76, from Saulsville said: "I am super happy. I love this and I hope they do the same for others as well. We wish to say thank you to the government of Gauteng and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everybody."
Pretoria News