MEC Nkonyeni’s Focus: An Outright Women Empowerment Agenda (isiZulu)

MEC Nkonyeni’s focus on the summit is an outright women empowerment agenda. As a visionary politician, her stealth, credence and assumption of positive intent is to creating opportunities for women in the built environment, to grow and sustain their potential while driving the economy of the sector and province of KwaZulu-Natal to its desired peak.

The summit further seek to provide a platform for women entrepreneurs in the infrastructure delivery and human settlements sectors in order to establish a common framework that would assist to driving an economic transformation for the betterment of humanity.

Accompanying MEC Nkonyeni in gracing the event were, Councillor Govender, the acting Mayor of KwaDukuza Municipality, Members of the Provincial Legislature, senior representatives from both the Departments of Human Settlements and Public Works. In celebrating Women’s’ month, women of all races, within the built industry, non-governmental organisations, various business sectors and the media stables honoured the invitation and joined the gathering.

In her keynote address, MEC Nkonyeni was eloquent but quite clear and firm as she alluded the Siyakha Incubation Programme that “is designed as a three (3) year programme, that will focus on companies in CIDB level 1 – 4 by introducing these into the sector, and provide them with capacity training, compliance and business skills development programmes to ensure that they can gradually grow into sustainable businesses.” She further indicated, “Companies compliant in terms of the built environment statutory requirements will be paired with Implementing Agents who are already undertaking planning and construction work for the Departments.” This open statement really encourages the hopeless, brightens up a dark tunnel for women in the built environment to see a light that would guide them towards economic freedom.

It is acknowledged that there are greater challenges facing women, young and old in communities, not to mention our province, the nation and the world. The challenges are so complex that they tend to lead women to one of two responses. The first response would be to turn away from these problems and focus on creating a good life for one’s small personal circle and themselves. The second response is that some women might say that thinking and talking about how to be of service is a waste of time, that the needs are so many and so great that there should be no hesitation in getting down to work.

The fact is that government cannot handle all of our community’s problems or needs, and we all have unique talents, knowledge and energy to bring to the table to help make a difference. In other words, we all have something to offer, but it is critical that the work we do in and for our communities be effective, meaningful and satisfying. It should have the impacts we want it to have, and it should be a way of bringing us closer to our friends and families, rather than taking us away from them