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Women empowerment 5 year plan unveiled in Mthatha

Media

SAPS female leadership unveiled a 5-year plan aimed to address women Empowerment challenges within the Service. This announcement is a culmination of a five day long Public Service Women Management week that began on the 27 August 2018 in Mthatha. A pledge was signed committing senior managers and Provincial Commissioners to support women’s empowerment agenda. A plaque in granite stone was also unveiled to mark the first gathering of this kind. The empowerment plan has an implementation strategy and self-monitoring mechanism that help keep everything on track.

Unpacking the plan earlier today Lt General (Dr) Bongiwe Zulu stated that the following will be addressed.

*Providing appropriate knowledge skills,

*Encouraging lifetime learning,

*Bridge theory and practice,

*Provide opportunities for career growth, *Sustaining women in operations and special leadership,

*Providing necessary support to women,, *Build gender balance,

*Create well represented and competent labour force that can meet police demands. She highlighted a challenge of components where women don’t stay and said through operation Khumbulekhaya all those members must return and appropriate support must be provided for them to stay in those units.

The day’s proceedings were led by National Commissioner’s representative, Lt Gen Mgwenya accompanied by Lt Gen Vuma and and Lt Gen Ntshiea. Lt Gen Ntshinga also hosted her Provinciap counterpart, Mec – Safety, Transport and Liaison in Eastern Cape:Ms Weziwe Tikan

Four Provincial Commissioners from North West – Lt Gen BB Motswenyana, Northern Cape- Lt Gen RP Shivuri, Free State- Lt Gen MD Semper and Limpopo – Lt Gen NJ Ledwaba were also in attendance.

Senior Female Managers also completed a vital task of assessing progress made in implementing Government’s 8-Principle Action Plan aimed to address Women Empowerment and Gender Equality in the Public Service.

Visits and engagements were conducted at Ikwezi Lokusa School for Physically Disabled, Efata School for Deaf and Blind, Tsolo Special School, Ngangelizwe Autism Center, Mandela Park and Mabheleni Primary schools at Bityi. Touched by the plight of the school the members donated money and together with the Gift of the Givers donated to the school.

The following police stations, Bityi, Ngangelizwe, Madeira, Central and Tsolo were visited as part of the activities.

During her introduction remarks Lt Gen Vuma traced the roots of this gathering from Senate meeting for all Lt Generals that was aimed to create a platform to address challenges facing women.

“We came out with challenges like lack of participation, unsatisfactory representation, patriarchy, no strategy to implement 50/50 policy, lack of unity and enthusiasm. “We want to rejuvenate today and bring back that enthusiasm,” she said excitedly.

She affirmed SAPS commitment is very clear that women empowerment can be achieved through consistent investment in women. “Those women will be the face of SAPS and will defend the organization,” she elaborated.

She unpacked to say the agenda is based at building self-esteem and inclusion while grooming fearless and confident women. She conceded that this move and step will take this organization to the future. She said this challenge can be overcome by women as they previously have shown great determination in fighting sexism and other social ills.

Adding her voice on the day MEC Tikana said according to a study women perform more work, produce more but earn less. She emphasized the importance of achieving the 50/50 policy target and the change must begin at the top.

“We must not wait for 2024 to resolve this matter, it should be resolved as a matter of urgency. We want to ensure that when women gather again here next year there are a lot more ground covered in emancipation of women. I challenge you to ensure that we have more women in position of power and we must support them,” said MEC Tikana.

She encouraged women in position of power to know that whatever they do they represent all other women. “When we are up in the command chain let’s not break the chain. We must not fail as there are young ambitious ladies who are burning to serve and they must look upon us,” stated the MEC boldly.

Lt Gen Ntshinga thanked everyone from the organizing team and every senior managers who participated. “It was indeed heart-warming and pleasure to have you in this rural province, the home of legends,” she concluded.

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