Hekpoort Thusong Service Centre changing people’s lives for the better

- by Moferefere Moloi

Gauteng, 5 December 2008

MEC for Gauteng Department for Agriculture and Land Affairs Mr Khabisi Musunkutu delivering the keynote address	Hekpoort community queuing for information at the exhibition	Ribbon cutting observance

5 December 2008 marked another milestone for the community of Hekpoort and Kromdraai, which manifested with the launch of the Hekpoort Thusong Service Centre. The launch was a culmination of intertwined efforts from different stakeholders from across all spheres of government and civil society, and it was evident with a turnout of about 700 people.

Programme Director, Mr Rapula Sedibe, opened the proceedings of the day. This was followed by a welcoming address from MMC Olivia Caldeira of Mogale City. The proceedings were characterised by exhibitions, stage performances by local artists and cultural groups, which paved the way for the MEC for Gauteng Department for Agriculture and Land Affairs, Mr Khabisi Musunkutu, to deliver the keynote address. In his address, MEC Mosunkutu alluded to the fact that Thusong Service Centres are essential for the development of the community. People could access government services and a wide range of information at the Thusongs, which was to their own advantage.

The Hekpoort Thusong Service Centre is situated in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind, surrounded by specialised farming activities and rural and farming communities.

Asked, if the impact of information on development can be measured in communities, in particular the Hekpoort farming and rural communities, the MEC answered that impact assessments needed time to measure, but information would change the lives of individuals, because information and service delivery go hand in hand. The newly established Thusong Service Centre will definitely change life for everyone in that community for the better.

The Hekpoort Thusong Service Centre will raise people’s consciousness and will enable them to become the agents of change as an added value. The community will be able to demand that services are improved where the improvements are needed and they would become informed citizens.

The event was rounded off by a vote of thanks from Ward Councillor Dennis Thabe, followed by the ribbon-cutting ceremony and site visits.