Eid ul-Adha fellow residents - Van Niekerk
Published: June 29, 2023<< BACK TO NEWS
Good morning. I take great pleasure in wishing our
fellow Muslim residents a happy Eid ul-Adha. While you gracefully display an
act of love by feeding the less fortunate, a God-given duty that should be
emulated by all, I trust that your pilgrimage was rejuvenating and spiritually
enriching.
Your duty to our fellow residents who fell on hard
times or are destitute due to circumstances, or the infirm, is a practice I
would love to see become a norm for all of us. The need for relief in
Colchester, Despatch, Gqeberha, Kariega and surrounding peri-urban areas is
massive. An academic study commissioned by the Economic Development, Agriculture
and Tourism Directorate almost 20 years ago, showed that a large percentage of
our fellow residents go to bed without a warm meal or the means to sustain
themselves.
We are also painfully aware that some of our Muslim
brothers and sisters are also facing economic hardship. Since then nothing
meaningful was done to ensure food security for all or build economic
resilience in our region.
I often refer to our coalition of the EFF, ANC, PA,
PAC and the AIC as a pro-poor government. It is not empty rhetoric. Our minds
are occupied by the needs of those who cannot help themselves.
I therefore want to thank you for your gracious
reminder today and hope that you have a lovely day with family, friends and
acquaintances.
Thank you very much. Eid Mubarak.
Gary van Niekerk
Executive Mayor
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