Councillor Wiwi Gumede visited the North Coast Radio House yesterday, urging the community to join efforts in persuading Ithala Bank to donate an abandoned building that has been underutilized for over 15 years. The structure has unfortunately become a gathering place for drug addicts, contributing to increased crime in the community.
Since 2020, as a Ward Councillor, Gumede has been engaged in negotiations with Ithala Bank, appealing to them to hand over the building. The purpose is to utilize it effectively in combating crime and fostering development in the Ngwelezane community.
The envisioned transformation involves converting the building into a training center, specifically targeting the youth of Ngwelezane. The goal is to equip them with skills that can empower them to start their own businesses or secure employment. Currently, they have been conducting similar programs on a smaller scale, with approximately 60 youth from the community already benefiting from partnerships with the Richards Bay Technical Training Centre.
This collaboration has seen the training of youths in various essential skills, such as Welding, Power & Hand Tools, Safety, Gas Cutting, HIV & AIDS Counselling, and Caregiving. The objective is to create a local training center, eliminating the need for youth to travel to Richards Bay for skills development. By doing so, they hope to increase the number of trained youths beyond the current 60, as the Richards Bay Technical Training Centre also serves other townships.
Their association with RBTT not only enhances employment opportunities for the youth but also facilitates connections with businesses around Richards Bay. The training center maintains a database of trained individuals, which companies can access when seeking skilled personnel.
The long-term plan includes engaging with the Department of Higher Education to align with national regulations and attract funding from Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs). This approach aims to ensure that participants do not bear the cost of these skill development initiatives.
You can listen to the whole interview here:
To support this cause, the community is urged to sign a petition addressed to Ithala Bank, advocating for the donation of the building. You can find the petition link.https://www.facebook.com/share/p/G8H2gZV9QPLbgSft/?mibextid=qi2Omg
