​Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD) hosted a service delivery blitz at Zenzele Sports Grounds, West Rand on Thursday. The blitz was aimed at empowering community members with information on the department’s programmes and services following a household survey two months ago. The survey found that there is a high rate of unemployment in the area and the community was far from government services.
Zenzele is one of the disadvantaged areas in the West Rand, and the department saw the need to collaborate with other stakeholders to address challenges identified when the survey that was conducted . The survey also indicated that households are social grant dependant.

During the engagement the community members were given information on how to access services on foster care, social work, bursaries, learnerships, internships, skills development, food parcels, dignity packs, school uniform and funding of cooperatives amongst others.

24-years-old Makgotso Mabona was given hope by the initiative.

She said, “I passed matric five years ago and I do not have money to further my studies. I had lost hope long time ago; we do not have facilities to develop us as youth especially for sports. My peers are hooked on drugs and are hopeless. Today I am excited about the information I got from the department on various skills development centres. They also took my details for employment opportunities. I am grateful to the department for this initiative, today my hope is restored”, she said.

Also in attendance was a 23-years-old Itumeleng Sixolo. He said, “I matriculated two years ago and I do not have money to further my studies. I am happy with the information I received form the stakeholders present. With the information we received especially for youth, our community will be developed. I believe that many of us will become entrepreneurs and empower our community. I am grateful to the department for bringing opportunities to us”, said Sixolo.

Community members also accessed services from Labour Department, Lafarge, NDA, GEP, ABSA, Metropolitan, Rand West City Libraries, West Rand Food Bank and various development centres funded by the department.