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Good Samaritans donate food parcels to Ivory Park indigents

Ivory Park pensioners were all smiles this week when a group of colleagues donated groceries.
Ivory Park pensioners were all smiles this week when a group of colleagues donated groceries.
Image: Supplied

It was almost that time of the month for pensioner Isaac Mambi where he scratches his head before his family of eight could have something to eat.

Mambi, a resident at Ivory Park near Tembisa, is among many South Africans who live on pension grant that fails to carry them through the month. However, on Sunday things were different when two women donated grocery that could keep Mambi and other 29 families eating at least until lockdown ends.

The 64-year-old, who received his pension early this month like others, said by last week the whole grocery was finished, and he was beginning to scrape for something to eat. Thanks to a group of colleagues who have teamed up and bought groceries for the needy families in Ward 77 in Ivory Park.

The 21 friends and colleagues who work for one of the established local companies donated food items such as 10kg mealie meal, soup, sugar, cabbages, onions, potatoes, tea, tinned fish, sugar beans, rice, salt and washing powder.

Mambi, who has been living in Ivory Park since 1991, said: “I really want to thank these people and may God bless them for what they did. You know, it was as if they knew that the situation was beginning to be difficult. At home we survive through my pension grant and when it is finished it becomes difficult.

“I want to thank them for remembering us during this difficult time. The grocery made a huge difference in my family. We are going to eat rice and fish. At least we know that there are people who still care and love us.”

According to the organiser and spokesperson for the group, Zininzi Manxiwa, the idea started after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the extension of the lockdown. 

She said many people reacted with frustration and complained about the shortage of essential goods and that the extension brought the worse to them. Manxiwa created a whatsApp group where she involved her colleagues, cousin and friends to give back. 

“I invited them to support the cause. We created a list of essentials and each person chose what to buy from that list. We bought the items chosen with our own money.”

Community leader Busi Mankunta confirmed to SowetanLive that Manxiwa and her friends donated food parcels. “This came as a surprise and it showed that there are people who still care about others. As a community, we have seen how people are struggling during this period. I want to thank Zininzi and her friends for what they have done.”

Manxiwa said they targeted families of senior citizens, people living with disabilities, child-headed homes and those unemployed.

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