During the International Nelson Mandela Day event organized by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), the Director-General (DG) in the Presidency, Ms Phindile Baleni, praised the youth of Hammanskraal, north-east of Tshwane, for their efforts in supporting the Tshepho Ke Lesedi Old Age Home community initiative.
In her remarks, DG Baleni commended the community for taking the initiative to support its elders and children, saying: “The young people of Hammanskraal decided not to sit and fold their arms while the elders and children suffer neglect.” She added that the community’s efforts were a shining example of nation-building.
DG Baleni accompanied the DG of the DPSA, Ms Yoliswa Makhasi, as well as the DPSA Deputy Directors-General, Ms Linda Dludla and Mr Willie Vukela, who are responsible for Administration and Government Service Access and Improvement respectively. The event involved the hand-over of gifts and voluntary work by staff to mark the birthday of South Africa’s first democratically elected President.
DG Baleni emphasised the importance of communities playing their part in nation-building, stating that: “This is how the nation and the world are built. While the government will do what it can for its part, communities also must play their part for these efforts to converge in the middle.”
Tshepho Ke Lesedi Old Age Home is an ongoing project that the DPSA Youth Forum supports, located 40 kilometres from Pretoria. As part of the 2023 Nelson Mandela Day activities, the youth forum supported the home, which looks after 28 elderly members of the community. The food garden run by the home helps an estimated 200 needy families. Day-to-day work is undertaken with the help of community volunteers, who also benefit from using the preschool located within the facility.
