By REGINALD KANYANE
28 August 2025- The North West MEC for Social Development, Sussana Dantjie said scores of residents from Syferbult and surrounding farms heaved a sigh of relief after the province authorities conducted a day-long community outreach in their area. Dantjie said the community outreach, comprising government departments, their entities, and the banking sector, is meant to bring government services directly to residents, especially in vulnerable or remote areas.
She further said it aims to foster dialogue between officials and community members to address local needs and to facilitate access to essential resources such as social grants, healthcare, economic opportunities and essential goods. Dantjie added this, including school uniforms and social relief of distress in the form of food parcels.
“The flagship programme dubbed Re thuse re go thuse reduces the cost and effort for residents to access support, empowers communities through information dissemination, and demonstrates a commitment to person-centred service delivery.
“Re thuse re go thuse community outreach programme as a service delivery machinery aimed at restoring dignity by bringing services to the doorsteps of communities,” she said.
Dantjie said they have mobilised a wide range of government departments and partners to deliver on-site services, including social grant applications, assistance with birth and identity documents, health screenings, social casework and referrals, and more.
She said they hope to bring the same outreach programme to this area again, so that many people from the surrounding farms can access services.
“I vow to return to the area with a similar outreach programme. This high-impact outreach, held in partnership with the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), is designed to bring vital government and social services directly to the community, with a special focus on residents in rural, remote, and underserved areas,” said Dantjie.
Expressing her profound thanks to the authorities, one of the residents, Mirriam Mthimkhulu, who is also the chairperson of the local primary school, said the visit by Dantjie and her entourage had paid dividends. This followed the handover of school uniforms to 58 learners by Dantjie and SASSA as part of the outreach programme.
Meanwhile, situated near Magaliesburg, Syferbult is among the most vulnerable communities in the North West, grappling with entrenched social challenges such as unemployment, poverty, and lack of proper documentation for children and adults alike. The Re thuse re go thuse community outreach programme will reach other parts of the province in the current financial year to unlock service delivery bottlenecks and improve the lives of people.
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