The turnout was exceptional during the “Emergency Thusong Outreach” held in Zwelihle from 3-4 October 2018. This event was one of several arranged to assist the community of Zwelihle following on the unrests.
The Department of Local Government, in partnership with Overstrand Municipality, and several other provincial departments came together under one roof to bring their services to the doorstep of Zwelihle residents. Together, they managed to assist more than a thousand residents during the two-day event.
For the past six years, the Department of Local Government has been responsible for organising Thusong Outreach events to bring the government’s basket of services closer to people who, otherwise, would have to travel long distances to meet with the relevant government institutions. This emergency outreach, however, particularly aimed to assist residents who may have lost important documentation such as identity documents and birth certificates during the recent unrests.
In addition, the Department of Health conducted health screening and HIV counselling/testing over the two-day period; SASSA assisted with grant and pension applications; the Department of Human Settlements – in conjunction with Overstrand Municipality’s housing, finance and town planning departments – provided information on housing opportunities; the Department of Agriculture provided general information on farming support; and the Department of Social Development offered consultation on the support services available to families, including childcare and child protection services.
The IEC also made use of the opportunity to help voters to register and to verify their registration details, while the National Youth Development Fund offered career guidance. The Road Accident Fund was there to create awareness of their services and to assist those who wanted to lodge claims, while the CCMA used the opportunity to distribute pamphlets and brochures on possible interventions.
