The Gauteng Department of Social Development will soon rename Emmasdal Child and Youth Care Centre (CYCC) after the late Executive Mayor of Sedibeng District Municipality, Ms. Busisiwe Joyce Modisakeng.
Modisakeng was a South African Anti-Apartheid Activist, born 30 October 1966 and she was the first female Executive Mayor in the Lesedi Municipality and the youngest mayor in Gauteng.
She served in various political positions before she became Executive Mayor.
In the early eighties the family of Modisakeng moved to Ratanda township where she pursued her studies at Ratanda Secondary School. It was during the apartheid era when she served as COSAS Secretary in Heidelberg Branch.
Before she was appointed the Executive Mayor, she served as a Municipality Speaker.
Modisakeng served three terms as a mayor and held various academic qualifications in Leadership and Project Management.
The people’s person died two years ago at the age of fifty-five during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the Sedibeng Stakeholder Relations regional Representative, Mr. Thabo Maila, Modisakeng’ s name had a meaning to Ratanda community since she was a leader.
Maila said to rename the Emmasdal CYCC they followed the process in accordance with the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC) Act, 1998.
“As part of the process we consulted with the deceased’s family and mobilizing meetings with the community leaders where the attendance register was signed by everyone present. Posters were also disseminated in various platforms to inform the community about the renaming of the CYCC,” says Maila.
“The team made sure that we consolidate all the information, and we presented the file to Stakeholder Relations Chief Director Mr. Bongane Ngomane to be completed and signed and other stakeholders in the community were also involved. Then the completed application was submitted to Geographical Name Change Committee (GGNC) with all the relevant documents, “ says Maila.
SOURCED FROM GAUTENG GOVERNMENT WEBSITE.
