Pretoria - Deputy Minister in the Presidency Buti Manamela on Thursday encouraged pupils from Eersterust, east of Pretoria to focus on their education and to look after the environment.
Visiting Nantes Primary School to plant a vegetable garden and fruit trees, the Deputy Minister responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Youth Development and Administration encouraged pupils to stay in school and to look after the vegetable garden and trees.
The Deputy Minister’s visit comes a day before President Jacob Zuma’s visit to the area on Friday.
The President’s visit will be to strengthen the fight against drug and substance abuse as well as promote youth development in the area.
“Most importantly this is a pre-visit before the President comes tomorrow to visit this community and its part of the build-up of activities which we’ve been having over some time. The key message for us is firstly to say to young people that drugs are not cool and that school is cool. Let’s make education fashionable,” explained the Deputy Minister.
He added that the youth are at the centre of building a better South Africa.
The Deputy Minister encouraged the learners to water the new vegetable garden and trees.
“Let’s look after our environment, let’s protect our environment,” said the Deputy Minister.
As to why Eersterust had been picked for the visit, the Deputy Minister said that the community had indicated to President Zuma that they were tired of drug lords taking over the community.
“There was an action by the community, by religious and various leaders who indicated to the President that they are sick and tired of drug lords having taken over their community, the open spaces and every inch of the area,” he said.
Government has engaged with the police and young people, among other stakeholders, on the matter. “We are making progress and the President will ensure that we will deepen that fight and handover the community back to the people of Eersterust,” said Deputy Minister Manamela.
A high unemployment rate, low income levels as well as the scourge of drugs were some of the issues faced by the community of Eersterust, said school principal Clinton Fortuin.
He said the school has programs in place to curb drug abuse.
He was excited about the Deputy Minister’s school. “We hope the impact of the visit is positive,” said Fortuin.
The produce from the vegetable garden and the fruit trees will help supplement the school’s feeding scheme which provides a meal to around 400 children daily.
“It will come in handy to supplement what we already have,” said Fortuin. - SAnews.gov.za
Deputy Minister in the Presidency Buti Manamela on Thursday visited pupils from Eersterust.
