Durban — The Gift of the Givers says it has an apolitical stance in assisting communities in various parts of South Africa irrespective of the political party the mayor or councillor belongs to.
Founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman was responding after the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal wanted answers as to why the Gift of the Givers gave food to IFP supporters in the uMhlathuze Local Municipality.
On Monday, the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal issued a statement calling on Sooliman to explain why his organisation is dishing out food parcels to IFP supporters in ward 12 in the uMhlathuze Local Municipality.
Later, the IFP responded to the ANC’s allegations.
Sooliman said that the Gift of the Givers has an apolitical stance in assisting communities in various parts of the country irrespective of the political party the mayor or councillor belongs to.
“We have assisted multiple areas where the predominant party is the ANC. We've had ANC ministers, premiers and mayors walking beside us at many projects but not a single political party in our 30-year history saw that as taking sides politically,” Sooliman said.
“They’ve had the maturity to understand that logically and rationally.”
Sooliman noted that the Givers were also assisting uMngeni Local Municipality mayor Chris Pappas with boreholes in the municipality and he is a DA councillor.
On Monday, Soolimn said, they had a request from Free State premier, Sefora Ntombela, to assist with the dam disaster in Jagersfontein. She is from the ANC.
The Givers were also called by the municipality in Nelson Mandela Bay Metro to assist with the water crisis there; that municipality is led by the ANC.
“We assist as best we can, wherever and whenever with the best of intentions with no political bias nor political ambition,” Sooliman said.
“Our neutrality and transparency are manifestly evident for all to see.”
Sooliman added that recently a house was handed over and 100 food parcels were distributed in the presence of the IFP leader, Velenkosini Hlabisa, in Mtwalume. It was a courtesy handover instead of the R250 000 the IFP contributed to the Gift of the Givers’ KZN flood intervention.
“Food parcels being distributed in an area to communities in need where it so happens that the local councillor is from the IFP does NOT make us supporters of an IFP campaign. This is disingenuous, it seems the greater desperation is more from the ANC rather than anyone else,” Sooliman said.
The issue started when ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo said the ANC in the province had noted with “disgust” what he called the use of food parcels by the Gift of the Givers Foundation to boost the IFP’s dismal campaign ahead of a by-election in ward 12.
“With the majority of communities in ward 12 having attended, in large numbers, all ANC activities over the past few days, we are seeing unethical and desperate attempts used by the IFP to stifle the ANC’s resounding victory,” Mtolo said.
“We are currently nursing the hope that the founder of the Gift of the Givers Foundation, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, will come clean and explain the position of his organisation regarding what is happening in ward 12.
“It is with great disappointment that for the first time, we are witnessing the Gift of the Givers dishing out food parcels to supporters of a political party – and the IFP in particular,” Mtolo said.
IFP KZN provincial chairperson Thami Ntuli said: “The ANC desperation has clearly reached boiling point and is both laughable and pitiful!
“ ... the IFP is calling on the ANC in KwaZulu Natal – which has long abandoned the people of Madlankala in ward 12 – not to spread false propaganda and try to smear the name of the Gift of the Givers and the IFP.”
Ntuli said the rendering of humanitarian aid to needy residents of ward 12 is the result of a request several months ago by the City of uMhlathuze Municipality.
Ntuli said the Gift of the Givers had also been approached to help with food.
“It is also important to note that the food parcels that were donated by the Gift of the Givers were openly distributed to residents of Madlankala,” Ntuli said.
“It, therefore, comes as quite a surprise that instead of applauding this act of goodwill towards the people of Madlankala, the ANC chose to maliciously misinterpret this kind act of generosity by the foundation and become enemies of progress.
“As the IFP, we suggest that instead of spreading malicious rumours, and slandering an organisation with an unimpeachable track record, the ANC focus on ensuring that all government resources are used for the benefit of the people – and not the ruling party,” concluded Ntuli.
Daily News