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Deputy President Paul Mashatile addresses a gathering at the Methodist Church in Butterworth, Eastern Cape.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile says faith-based organisations (FBOs) are the strategic partners to promote social cohesion and foster social compacts.
He was addressing a gathering at the Methodist Church of Southern Africa in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape.
“We will work with the church to support our mothers’ fight against gender violence. We are here as the government to assist you. Social cohesion can help our people unite and stay away from other issues. Nation-building is key in our country. Our children are involved in drugs, we have a problem of gender-based violence (GBV) and all these social ills. We all have to stand up and deal with the challenges the country is facing.”
Mashatile says South Africans should not be bothered by the tariffs imposed by US President Trump. He says South Africa has the potential to exploit international trade with other world economies.
“The US president is abusing us; he is imposing tariffs. We will survive. I was in Russia and Putin said to me, ‘Tell me, where are you running. We will support you.’ I was in China and the president said to me, ‘We will support you and we will impose zero tariffs.’ I was in Japan, the President said to me, ‘We will support you.’”
We are not going to act like cry-babies, let’s keep our minerals and use them for ourselves.”
Faith-based organisations say intensification of programmes to deal with social ills is important, adding, the fight against GBV is at the top of their agenda.
Mziwethu Sanda, Music Association Organiser for the Methodist Church,
“GBV is a pandemic, but as the church, we are always there to fight it. We work with a number of structures in society. As the church, we play a pivotal role. Our aim is to make an impact and be the light to end all social ills in this country.”
Mashatile visits Methodist Church in Butterworth
