Takalani Ndou of Musina Nancefield Extension 8 is an unemployed single mother of three who survives by doing piece jobs. It has always been a heavy burden for her to access government services because she does not have money to take a taxi to town.

Ndou’s agony, which she shares with a lot of people in her neighbourhood, will soon be a thing of the past, because the Musina Municipality has started with the construction of the R1,2 million Thusong Service Centre in their area. When the centre has been completed at the end of June this year, local people will be able to access municipal and government services on their doorstep.

The Thusong Service Centre programme of government was initiated in 1999 as one of the primary vehicles for the implementation of development communication and information, and to integrate government services into primarily indigent communities. This was done to address historical, social and economic factors of limited access to information, services and participation because citizens had to travel long distances to access these services.

Musina Mayor Carol Phiri says: “This Thusong Service Centre is a one-stop, integrated community development centre, with community participation and services relevant to their needs. It will empower the poor and the disadvantaged through access to information, services and resources from government, non-governmental organisations, parastatals and business - enabling them to engage in government programmes for the improvement of their lives. The government's vision for Thusong Service Centres is to provide every South African citizen with access to information and services within their place of residence, with the purpose of improving the quality of their lives through integrated service delivery.”

Ndou was jubilant about this development.  "We are very happy to have this centre around us because this will make our life easier. We thank everyone who played a role in the establishment of this centre. Words alone cannot express our gratitude.”