“Empowering the next generation for a resilient future”
Minister of COGTA Honorable Velenkosini Hlabisa
Hon. Prince Zolile Burns-Ncamashe, Deputy Minister for Traditional Affairs
Hon. Dr. Dickson Masemola, Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance
Hon. Mr. David Mahlobo, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation
Hon. Ms. Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, Deputy Minister for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
Cllr. Ms. Mamedupe Teffo, Executive Mayor for Capricorn District Municipality
Cllr. Mr. Mosema John Mpe, Executive Mayor for Polokwane Local Municipality
Kgosi Thabo Seatlholo, Chairperson for the National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leadership
Mr. Joosuf Pemma, MMC for Polokwane Municipality
Executive Mayors
Mayors drawn from respective Municipalities
Esteemed Royal Leaders
Ladies and Gentlemen
Distinguished Guests
Most importantly our School Children present here today
It is my singular honour and privilege to be afforded this opportunity to stand before you today. Today marks an important day and a watershed in the disaster management fraternity, the commemoration of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. Most importantly is the presence of the school children in this august occasion because the theme for this event is mainstreaming disaster management at school.
Engaging school children in any developmental programme find favor in my heart. When I was told that a programme has been developed for me to engage the school children, I embraced it with all my heart solely because school children and the youth constitute the bedrock for the future of the society.
Minister and Honourable Guests, as a Member of the Executive Council responsible for disaster management in the Province appointed by the Premier of the Province Dr. Phophi Ramathuba, I want to reiterate the fact that disaster management is a shared responsibility that requires all spheres of government, public private partnership including NGO collaboration. As a nation let us embrace the notion that says “disaster management is everybody’s business”.
Programme Director, I want to highlight the fact that our daily lives are susceptible to disasters. The world over is always under threats of forces of nature such as climate change which has got devastating effects to the lives of the people, damage to critical infrastructure, negative impact to economic and the wellbeing of communities and causing a serious environmental degradation. People world over become victims because of the brutality caused by adverse impacts of climate change.
The challenge facing us is how do we start to build resilience to communities to free our people from the harsh realities of disasters? It is worth mentioning that disasters do not make any prior invitation when they are to happen and that is why people are always caught unprepared.
Therefore, Programme Director, the essence of disaster management dictate to us to begin and continue increasing capacity of communities and households to minimize the risk and impact of disasters. Therefore, let us promote disaster management capacity building, training and education including schools and vulnerable communities.
As we reflect on the increasing threats posed by disasters, amplified by climate change, it’s crucial to recognize the significant impact these have on our children and youth. According to UNICEF, around one billion children worldwide are at high risk due to climate-induced disasters, which disrupt their education and well-being. This underscores the importance of integrating children’s vulnerabilities and needs into our national and local disaster risk reduction strategies. Additionally, empowering youth by involving them in disaster risk reduction initiatives, as emphasized by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, is vital. Education plays a critical role here, transforming children from passive victims into active agents of change for their families and communities.
To protect our young ones effectively, countries must harness the potential of the education sector to reduce disaster risks for school-aged children, focusing on two key areas. First, we must ensure that schools are fortified against disasters and become integral parts of early warning systems, as every child deserves to be secure in their educational environment. Second, we need to empower them through age-appropriate education, enabling them to understand and act on the risks they face. By doing so, we contribute to building a more resilient community that is better prepared to respond to disasters and protect family units.
I urge us all to endorse and implement the Comprehensive School Safety Framework 2022-2030, led by UNESCO and UNICEF. This initiative provides a pathway for governments to safeguard children and educational institutions from various risks and hazards. Let us commit to making our schools safe learning spaces, protecting both students and educators, and ensuring the continuity of education. By doing so, we support the core principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and ensure that child rights are upheld in the face of disasters.
Honourable Minister, I want to seize this moment to appreciate your National Disaster Management Centre in its endeavors of mainstreaming and incorporating disaster management in the school curriculum. I want to thank you sincerely by extending your hand to the Minister of Basic Education in this project of engaging school children in the disaster risk reduction efforts. This is indeed partnership of its kind which means that we are in serous business of doing away with disasters prone communities.
Honourable Minister, it has come to my attention that your National Disaster Management Centre is in the process revamping and overhauling the disaster management systems. This is the correct thing to do and I want to be counted as one of the contributors to development path. As MEC responsible for disaster management in the Province, my guts tells that your commitment to inject new systems in disaster management is the right thinking.
Programme Director, let me not go beyond my boundaries. Mine is to come and introduce the Minister. Ladies and Gentlemen, Member of Parliament Velenkosini Hlabisa is the current Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the 7th Administration. He is a South African politician and former teacher. He is the sitting President of one of the political parties in the country being Inkatha Freedom Party since 2021 he previously served as the Secretary General of the IFP. He served as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa since 2023 and also serve as the IFP parliamentary leader. Mr. Hlabisa is not new in the area of local governance having been served as the Mayor of Big Five Hlabisa Local Municipality within the uMkhanyakude District Municipality.
Ladies and gentlemen allow me to present Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa.