The University of Venda´s Centre for Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation, in partnership with the Vhembe District Municipality, held a consultative forum to give feedback on the implementation of the anti-poverty strategy.

The consultative forum was held at the Indoor Sports Centre in Thohoyandou last Friday.

The forum was attended by representatives from the Vhembe district and local municipalities, community development workers, sector departments, ward committees, Old Mutual and various community structures.

According to the communications officer of the Vhembe District Municipality, Mr Moses Shibambu, the development of an anti-poverty strategy stems from a policy unit that was developed within the office of the presidency. He added that the unit requested proposals from various stakeholders in the municipalities, with the aim of obtaining inputs to strengthen the proposed anti-poverty strategy. “This resulted in the convening of a seminar on 12 March 2009 at the University of Venda, where various stakeholders within the Vhembe District participated and made inputs,” he said.

In his opening address, the executive mayor of the Vhembe District Municipality, Cllr Philemon Mdaka, indicated that one of the key priorities of government was rural development. “So let’s contribute the little that we have for this programme, so that we can change the lives of our people. The government is spending a lot on resources, but our people are still suffering,” said Mdaka.

He added that community development workers should play a key role in assisting elderly and disabled people to access state resources. “It’s upon us to work together, because poverty cannot be eradicated if we don’t stand together and work for common objectives,” Mdaka said.

Prof Netshandama of the University of Venda said that universities were considered key strategic assets for national growth and development of modern societies. She added that the role of the university was to advance the knowledge of the community and to encourage the development of scholarship and learning.

“It is therefore the responsibility of the university to respond to the core community challenges such as poverty, unemployment, skills development and health. It is against this background that the nature of today’s programme resides in the centre for rural development and poverty alleviation,” said Prof. Netshandama.