Early Christmas Gifts Given to the Needy
The hampers - worth more than R5 000 - contained meat, clothes and blankets; they were handed to more than 350 families in the impoverished Orient Hills informal settlement. The charitable donation follows after a consultative meeting between Mashatile and the members of the Horizon Education Trust.
According to Mustafa Eroglu, the spokesperson of Horizon Education, a Muslim charity organisation based in Istanbul, in Turkey, said the donation was part of its contribution and fight poverty. Eroglu is a teacher in neighbouring Johannesburg.
"This is part of our social relief to assist distressed families," Eroglu said. "We are doing this to assist needy families especially in the rural areas, and we thought it wise to involve the premier as well as the local mayor to help us identify needy areas."
A team of 10 members of the organisation from Istanbul accompanied him during the distribution. The group sent members from Turkey so they could get first-hand insight into the poverty-stricken area.
"We brought our fellow members from Istanbul to come and see for themselves how distressed rural areas are, so that whatever donations they make are informed by the realities on the ground," Eroglu said, indicating that 200 cows were slaughtered to help feed needy households around Gauteng.
Well co-ordinated
Mashatile and Seerane, who were at their vintage best, surprised an army of mostly unemployed households at the local supermarket with Christmas hampers. Mashatile said the assistance was a well co-ordinated effort between his office and the Horizon Education Trust.
"These guys wanted to assist needy families around Gauteng. They approached us to identify needy and distressed families, and Mogale City came first in our minds. Orient Hills was identified by the executive mayor," Mashatile explained.
Seerane said: "This gesture serves to indicate that the partnership to fight poverty is a reality. We are happy for the people of Orient Hills, which is one of the poorest areas in Mogale City."
Rose Pole, 69, and her husband William Pomela, 74, both of whom are unemployed, could not hide their joy when Mashatile and Seerane visited their home and gave them the parcel of goodies.
"We are happy and I cannot explain my joy regarding the present. This package will see us through the festive season and keep hunger at bay for my family," Pole said on receiving her package from Mashatile.
Ella Duff, a single mother of three, said: "I'm very excited about the gift. It never crossed my mind that the mayor and the premier would think about us in the rural areas. May God bless them and make sure that they continue do their best, especially looking after needy people like us."
Informal settlement
Orient Hills is a dingy informal settlement nestled along the R28 Rustenburg road, and is characterised by high levels of unemployment.
In a move aimed at improving the lives of Orient Hills residents, Mashatile said the housing department, headed by MEC Nomvula Mokonyane, together with Mogale City would put together a plan to relocate the residents.
"These people are placed in a not-so-healthy area. The shacks are built right on top of petroleum pipes and that is very dangerous. So the housing department and Mogale City will have to put a plan in place to relocate these people and provide them with proper housing, electricity and sanitation," Mashatile said.
Poppy Mulaudzi, 31, welcomed the idea, saying: "This idea will help a lot in the sense that most of our people are knocked down by cars along the road. Also our kids will not have to travel long distances to school."
The local councillor, Kgathatso Sibiloane, said the donations came in handy for his constituency.
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