MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe hosted a Post Policy Speech Engagement Session with the sport, arts and culture fraternity in attendance at Steve Biko Centre recently. The purpose of the session was to engage the stakeholders and outline the department’s plans for the 2023/24 financial year.
MEC Kontsiwe emphasized the importance of the session and indicated that, “the stakeholder engagement and public participation are integral elements to the department’s work in developing, designing and implementing services and policies that benefit the public that has entrusted us with these offices or whom we are here to serve.”
MEC Kontsiwe further added that, “this year marks 29 years of the country’s democracy. Our key priority as a sector throughout these years has been to try and create an enabling environment for social cohesion and nation building. “
“Building a socially cohesive society means working hard in building positive social relations which will bind us together irrespective of our diversity as a people. Government prioritizes this in a bid to look after the wellbeing of the nation, fight exclusion and marginalization, create a sense of belonging for all citizens and promote harmony. That is why we have to work hard to ensure that whatever hinders our service delivery is dealt with,” said MEC Kontsiwe.
Among the discussions that took place at the session, the stakeholders highlighted the importance of partnerships and urged the department to involve them in its plans so that they can assist the department to achieve its goals while also developing the athletes and the creative industry of the province.