IN order to deal with social challenges that are facing the country, private and government sectors need to work closely together.
As much as the government is trying its best, it cannot do it alone.
This was said by King MisuZulu kaZwelithini.
The king called on the private sector, civil society and the government to work together to confront social ills facing communities as he believes that the strengthening of collaboration between social partners was theas this was the only way to deal with social challenges facing the country.
King Misuzulu said this during his follow-up visit to Pinetown, Durban, on Thursday, 7 July.
The purpose of the king’s visit was to check on the progress made since his last visit in the aftermath of the April floods, and to hand over donations to flood victims.
King Misuzulu was accompanied by KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala and Diageo South Africa, which sponsored the much-needed donations to the affected families displaced by floods and are still living in community halls around area.
The visit also marked the launch of the King Misuzulu Foundation.
Among the aims of the foundation is putting together resources towards community upliftment and responding to various challenges, including a lack of access to water and quality education for children from poor families.
King Misuzulu said: “I want to single out Diageo South Africa and give it a special praise for collaborating with the King Misuzulu Foundation on this project.
“It is our view as the foundation that for us to deal with the social challenges facing the country, we need to work closely with the private sector and the government.
“The government is trying its best, but it cannot do it alone. This is a practical example the social compact between all social partners.”
Zikalala said: “We are grateful to you His Majesty that through the foundation you will be able to reach communities and address challenges that government could have taken time to address.
“We are grateful for the step taken by His Majesty to ensure that no one goes to bed hungry and that no child fails to go to school because of poverty.”
Diageo SA’s director of corporate relations, Sibani Mngadi, said the drinks company, which is invested in the growth and development of KZN, jumped at the opportunity to partner with the king’s foundation.
“The alignment between the objectives of the foundation and our values as Diageo SA dictated that we partner with the foundation and collaborate with it to address the plight of our people.
“We look forward to even more collaborations with the foundation and other stakeholders as we build stable and resilient communities,” said Mngadi.
