Nyandeni Local Municipality outgoing Mayor, Mesuli Ngqondwana, has handed over a newly built Early Childhood Development Centre (ECD) to the community of Bhucula which falls under ward 20 of the local authority.
The latest ECD handover takes to four the number of completed centres that have been successfully handed over to communities by the municipality, after earlier completing and handing over the other three, situated in Mbhombeleni location in Ward 4, Corana in Ward 12, and Lujizweni in Ward 32.
The four ECD centres had been funded from the municipality’s previous financial year budget at a combined cost of over R4.2 million but handed over during the current financial year.
“The Early Childhood Development Centre roll-out programme forms part of implementing Nyandeni Local Municipality’s Vision 2030 and is a direct response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call for prioritisation of early childhood development,” said municipal spokesperson, Ncebakazi Kolwane-Simanga.
“Early childhood development is also a vital investment in children’s future as it sharpens their learning, reading and writing capacity whilst their numeracy, literacy and other early life skills become enriched at these ECD facilities,” Kolwane-Simanga added.
The municipality plans to fund construction of an additional three ECD centres from the current municipal financial year budget.
The completed ECD centres boast facilities such as a classroom, one teachers’ office, one sick bay, a storeroom, and a kitchen.
They are also each fitted with a 5 000l water tank, ceilings, steel burglar proof doors and two ablution facilities for adults and children, as well as 40x40m boundary fencing with razor wire.
The municipality has further supplied children’s desks and chairs, landscaping, and outdoor playing equipment.
The Bhucula location early childhood development centre was officially unveiled on October 11.
