Moretele- The Early Childhood Development programme will not achieve its intended purpose of intervening in the lives of toddlers if the society fails to address violence perpetuated against children, North West MEC for Social Development Collen Maine said yesterday.

Maine was addressing more than 200 residents of Ngobi in Moretele Local Municipality during his second early childhood massification campaign in the area.

“We mobilise the whole society to rally behind the wellbeing of children. This well-being refers to the safety of children, social protection, education, nutrition and exemption from hunger and poverty,” Maine said.

As part of the activities of the campaign Maine together with kgosana Josias Malebye of the Bakgatla-baga-Mosetlha led the sod-turning ceremony to mark the erection of a prototype early childhood development centre which would benefit the children in the impoverished Ngobi village.

National Development Agency’s Potlako Ntlatleng said the high class centre will have classrooms to accommodate 120 children, with a kitchen, a sickroom and outdoor plaing facilities.

Ntlatleng said they will, in partnership with the Department of Social Development build three prototype centres at Ngobi in Moretele, Leeuwdoringstad in Maquassi and Matsheng in Taung.

“The project amount to carry out all these projects amounts to R3m,” Ntlatleng said.

Maine handed over support material in the form of indoor and out-door playing equipment, computers, printers and fire extinguishers to ten Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners.

One of the beneficiaries Johanna Letsiki (70),who has recently registered a day care centre in the area said she is pleased that National Development Agency will renovate her centre which accommodate 18 children.

“This is like a dream. Since 1996 I felt so neglected by the authorities and I am thankful that today we have received these equipment for the children,” Letsiki said with jubilation that she danced after receiving the support material form MEC Collen Maine and NDA representatives.

The campaign will be taken to Leeudoringstad and Taung in November this year.-TDN

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The Sasol League Road Show football action is set to create a buzz at the Montshiwa Stadium, Mafikeng in the North West Province on Saturday, 26

th October with a number of activities on the cards. There will be two Sasol League matches, a coaches’ workshop and a talent identification session.

The end of season finale will see top of the log defending provincial champions Al’s Puk Tawana, (50 points from 19 matches) take on seventh placed Florentina F.C (27 points from 21 games) at 13h00. This match will be followed by a clash between fourth placed North West University (31 points from 16 games) and fifth placed Western Tigers (30 points from 18 games) at 15h00.

Gates will open at 12h00 and the first 150 spectators will receive merchandise courtesy of Sasol, the league sponsors. Fans will also stand a chance to participate in a “Shikisha Skills Competition” and win great prizes during the half time break of each game.

Earlier in the day at 09h00, Banyana Banyana head coach Joseph “Skeshekheshe” Mkhonza and his technical team will address Sasol League club mentors from the province, on technical aspects of coaching women football players.

At 10h00, Mkhonza and his team will continue with their talent identification for the Sasol sponsored South African National Women’s Football Team (Sasol Banyana Banyana). They will also aim unearth talent for the junior women’s national team as they have done in the past four years.

Since 2009, the Sasol League talent identification programme has produced some exciting new talent for the senior national team. In its fifth year, the Sasol League, through the promotional road shows, has seen over 150 players across the country being included in a pool for possible selection into both the junior and senior national teams.

“It is important to have a wide pool of players for the national team and the Sasol League is just the right platform for that. Next year is a very important year for Banyana Banyana; the team has African Women’s Championships qualifiers early in the year with the tournament taking place later in October in Namibia.

“Finding new talent for the national team is an on-going exercise as we are building towards the 2015 World Cup and beyond. We can never have enough depth and that is why we have to consistently look for the next big stars,” said Mkhonza.

Next weekend the promotional road show will be in the province of KwaZulu Natal at Dundee.-TDN

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