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8 April 2005

The Department of Labour will continue with the Government’s resolve of bringing service delivery closer to the people, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana said today, when he officially opened the 126th Labour Centre at Mt Ayliff, near Kokstad in the Eastern Cape.

The centre was opened amid fan fare and ululation by the local community, which has long been waiting for such an office to cater for its labour needs. 

The launch of the centre formed part of the Minister’s nation-wide Imbizo tour.

During the tour, Minister Mdladlana has been scheduled to interact with all stakeholders and inspect department of labour sponsored projects aimed at uplifting the living standard and speeding up service delivery.

Minister Mdladlana said it has always been the intention of his Department to operate in all communities.

“We always try to be within reach. We want to ensure that our people do not travel long distances to access Government service,” he said.

The Minister added that the new Labour Centre would, like all Labour Centres, render services such as Unemployment Insurance Fund, Skill Development, Compensation Fund, and Labour Relations.

“When I was here in 2003 on an Imbizo, I made a promise that my Department would build a Labour Centre for the Alfred Nzo District Municipality and today I am delivering on that promise,” said Minister Mdladlana.

The Mt Ayliff Labour Centre brings the total number of Labour Centres, which are the service points of the Department, to 16 in the Province.

Meanwhile the Minister kicked off his Imbizo yesterday (Thursday, 7 April 2005) by expressing concern over the slow pace in resourcing provincial offices, which he said was adversely affecting service delivery to the needy.

After meeting provincial representatives of the Department, the Minister instructed senior officials of the Department who were accompanying him on the five-leg Imbizo to fill all vacancies in the provinces to ensure improved service delivery in line with President Thabo Mbeki’s call to improve capacity and to further improve the lives of ordinary South Africans.

Minister Mdladlana and his entourage will be in Grahamstown tomorrow where, among others, he will meet with the Sectoral Education and Training Authority (SETA) in the Province. 

Enquiries: Page Boikanyo
Cell: 082 809 3195
Website: http://www.labour.gov.za

Issued by: Ministry of Labour
8 April 2005