EC Premier asks for the restoration of morals in Easter message

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Eastern Cape premier, Noxolo Kiviet, has appealed to people in the province to pray for the restoration of good moral values in society, because she says something has gone horribly wrong.

In her Easter message on Thursday, Kiviet said the abuse and rampant use of alcohol by young people and the rape of women and killing of defenseless elderly people are cases in point.

She says Government alone cannot overcome these ills.

Premier Kiviet says government needs to intensify the partnership with all societal formations in a bid to stop the downward spiral of self-destruction we are currently experiencing.

She also called on the Eastern Cape public to reach out the many people who go to bed hungry so that they too can enjoy the spirit of sharing and togetherness that Easter brings.

Here is her full Statement:

As many people in our province join the rest of the world to celebrate the Easter, I urge them to continue strengthening family ties and helping those in need in their communities. For a number of decades our people irrespective of race, colour or creed have embodied the true values of Ubuntu by providing assistance to needy communities.

Many people in our province still go to bed hungry, they do not have the slightest clue where their next meal will come from. It is our collective duty to ensure that during this Easter, we reach out to them so that they too can enjoy the spirit of sharing and togetherness that the Easter brings. We need to return to the values of Ubuntu and pray for the restoration of good moral values in our society because something has gone horrible wrong. The abuse and rampant use of alcohol by our young people and the rape of women and killing of defenseless elderly is one case in point. When we read in newspapers that 50 % of our teens consume alcohol, we need to be highly alarmed. These statistics are not something that we don't know. We see taverns going up in all corners of our society even next to schools and churches. Some parents even pour fuel to this by sending their children to buy liquor at these tarvens exposing them to all kinds of bad influences.

Government alone cannot overcome these ills; we need to intensify our partnership with all societal formations so that we can stop our society from the downward spiral of self-destruction we are currently experiencing. I wish all the people who will spend the Easter holidays with their families and friends in our province, a safe and happy Easter weekend. We urge all motorists obey the rules of the road and not to drink and drive.

Ends

Ms Noxolo Kiviet
Premier of the Eastern Cape