PRETORIA – Good Samaritans have come to the aid of the Phalane family of Katlehong in Ekurhuleni in Gauteng who are in need of assistance for food and to rebuild their partly collapsed home.
The family members, led by 79-year-old Gabriel Phalane and his wife of the same age Thandi, were featured in the Daily Sun newspaper some weeks ago begging for assistance from South Africans for food and to rebuild their damaged home.
On Saturday, social media platforms showed popular Ekurhuleni businessman and philanthropist Given Muhlarhi, founder of Given the Giver Foundation, visiting the family in Katlehong with food and spending time with them as he celebrated his 40th birthday.
Working with his business associates, Muhlarhi has committed to renovate the Phalane home to the tune of around R500,000.
“Instead of celebrating my birthday with friends at Sandton, popping expensive champagne, this year I decided to make a difference in the lives of fellow South Africans. I have not been sleeping well ever since the story of how the Phalane family is living came to my attention. I have reached out to my partners and they are on board to turn around the circumstances of this family,” said Muhlarhi.
“I dedicate my 40th birthday to my late grandmother, who I share a birthday with. She remains a pillar in my life and I have chosen to assist the Phalane family in her honour. The Covid-19 pandemic is upon us and many people have lost their lives. We actually have nothing to celebrate.”
He said since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown, Given the Giver Foundation had handed over 5000 food parcels as many people had lost their jobs while poverty had increased. The foundation hoped to raise funds for the construction of a university in Ekurhuleni.
Apart from the Phalane home renovations, Muhlarhi said the makeover would include new furniture, thanks to well-wishers.
Muhlarhi was joined by #NotInMyName president Siyabulela Jentile and businessman Lizwe Ncube of Dunmarsh Investments based in Edenvale. Scores of community members, including a group of ANC uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) military veterans also joined the gathering.
“My message here is that we need to carry each other through this pandemic. The MK was there because the organisation they represent, the African National Congress, represents society. It is a social organisation, never mind the fact that people will say we have diverted from that. The ANC used to be that organisation that goes to the poor of the poorest. The MK members are here to symbolise that. They are the one who handed over the groceries I brought to the Phalane family,” said Muhlarhi.
Jentile told the African News Agency (ANA) that since the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown his organisation, #NotInMyName, had had to go further than standing up for victims of abuse, and provide food relief to desperate families across South Africa.
“As an organisation, #NotInMyName is encouraged to see other organisations and leaders in society, like our brother here, Given The Giver, who have been doing this for a very long time. As the general populace we need to encourage them, but most importantly we need to support them, which is the main reason why we are here,” said Jentile.
He added that such actions of giving should not be once-off events.
Gauteng businessman Ncube expressed his company’s commitment towards helping communities and poor members of society.
“I have also come to support Mr Given. What he is doing is touching. They say a thousand miles journey begins with a single step, no matter how small it might seem.
“There is a popular saying which also says, ‘your effort might be a drop in an ocean but the ocean will never be the same again without that drop'. So we are very keen to help. We are also participating. As a company, we have donated more than 2000 food hampers during the Covid-19 lockdown, so such kind of exercises have to be done,” said Ncube.
- African News Agency (ANA), editing by Jacques Keet