LIMPOPO MIRROR
26 June 2020 9
Goodbye to Musina’s GM of community services Musina News “Richard Morolana is like a candle that burns itself to give us light. He has been instrumental in the advancement of service delivery initiative for our communities. His contributions will never go unnoticed in the history of our municipality.” These were the words of Musina Mayor Mihloti Muhlope in praise of Mr Richard Morolana, who was the general manager of community services at Musina Municipality. Morolana’s five-year employment contract has expired while the country is in the middle of the lockdown period. As general manager of community services, Morolana oversaw refuse removal, traffic, licencing, sports, arts and culture, municipal health, and community safety, to name but a few. Muhlope said Morolana’s
Mr Richard Morolana.
presence at the municipality had been felt by everyone. “He served the municipality with dedication and we are grateful for his contributions. We feel pain, because we are parting ways with one of the colleagues whom we depended on for service delivery. We thank him for his energy, time, and wisdom. We wish him good luck in his future endeavours.” The municipal manager, Mr Nathi Tshiwanammbi, said it was sad that Morolana was leaving the municipality during the lockdown period. “Our tradition is that we hold farewell parties for our colleagues when they leave the municipality, but this time, the lockdown has caught us off guard. Under normal circumstances, all staff members would converge and bid farewell to the colleague to appreciate the good working relationship they had with the one who is leaving the municipality.” Tshiwanammbi cited Morolana as a faithful community servant who was readily available and dedicated to his work. “He was always available whenever he was needed, and he was very committed to his work. He would spend sleepless nights to make sure that our community members got the services they deserve out there. Words alone cannot express our gratitude, but we feel proud to have been associated with a great man of his calibre.” Morolana thanked the municipality for giving him the opportunity to realize his potential. He added: “Musina Municipality was my second home, and I enjoyed and appreciated every minute I spent there. It was also an honour for me to be associated with an institution like Musina Municipality.”
Murdered gogo and her daughter laid to rest specialised counselling for them to recover fully,” he said. “We underGogo Matamela Ramala (90) stand and accept that our beloved and her daughter, Martha Rafamily members are gone forever, mala (60), who were shot dead but it will be very difficult for us to last Sunday night, were buried live without them. However, it is during an emotional funeral at also important to acknowledge the Gogobole on Saturday. community and different strucThe sound of hymns was overtures’ support since we were greetpowered by weeping and wailing ed with the bad news. God has during the first funeral of its kind done his will and there is nothing at the village. “We have accepted we can do because the situation is what happened, although we know irreversible,” he said we will never get over it. The pain Makhado Mayor Samuel we experience as a family is more Munyai expressed his condothan words can express,” said Mr lences to the family and said that Phineas Malema, spokesperson of their loved ones would always the family. be remembered. “Our thoughts “The deaths of the two had and prayers are with the family of left family members traumatised the deceased during this time of and it will take a long time and grief,” he said. “Their deaths have touched our hearts and we are united with the family and other stakeholders to make sure that the two receive a dignified burial.” Four suspects were arrested and were facing charges of murder when they appeared in the Tshilwavhusiku Magistrate’s Court last Tuesday. The case was postponed to today (Friday) for bail applications. Jeffrey Matshivha (46) of Magau village, Muraga Musenwa (24) of Gogobole village, Dakalo Makhavhu (35) of Tshiozwi village and Rodney Moekoena (28) of Magau village are in custody The graves of Gogo Matamela and and one suspect is still on daughter Martha Ramala. the run. By Kaizer Nengovhela
The dilapidated shack of Ms Musundwa. Photo supplied.
Musundwa and her children need a house By Kaizer Nengovhela Life has always been tough for a Maelula Tshidaulu woman, the mother of five children. The family have been the most tragic victims of poverty and need a decent house to stay in. The sickly and unemployed Ms Munyadziwa Musundwa and her family do not have proper shelter and they sleep on the cold floor during the winter. Musundwa stays in a shack that was damaged and can collapse any time. She gets child support grants for four children. “I am living in this shack with my children because I have nowhere to go,” she said.
She said that sometimes they went to bed on empty stomachs because they had nothing to eat. Musundwa said that she could not raise enough funds to feed the family. She said the little money she received from the child support grants was used to buy food or to fix her house. When the rain comes down, water pours through the roof of the shack. Musundwa addressed her plea to any person or businesspeople who might be prepared to assist her and family. “What we need is a house to stay and other kinds of donations as we are suffering for a long time in silence. We are trying hard to make ends meet, but our efforts seem fruitless and unrewarding.
I want to raise my kids to be educated and have a bright future”, she said. Ms Thelma Ramabulana from Maelula said the royal council was aware of the hardship of Musundwa and her family. The royal council had been working tirelessly to fight poverty in the village, she said. “We are in the process of identifying all the poor families who have the same problem as Musundwa and her family. After completing the list, we will send it to the relevant authorities, and she will be among the people who need urgent help.” She said that people who would like to assist could call her on 076 663 2078.
Mathoho Foundation reaches out to the poor to what I am now, but I thank God Who blessed me, and I have to think of Barely a month ago, the Mpho Matho- helping those who are less privileged.” ho Foundation was launched in the He added that he had already donated Vhembe District Municipality and school uniforms and paid tuition fees the foundation is already starting to for some poor students who were serimake a positive impact on poor comous about education. munities around the Vhembe region. “As the foundation that cares for poor On Thursday, about 100 households people, we have joined with the Vhembe in Tshimbupfe village near Vuwani District Municipality, Department of received food parcels. Social Development, community leaders The brains behind the organization and traditional leaders in identifyis Mr Mpho Mathoho. He was born ing needy people. We also found out and raised in a poor family in the rural that, during this difficult time of the village of Tshitavha-tsha-Sambandou. lockdown, many poor people still do not He said that he did not want other have food for their families, and we have poor people to experience what he had to help,” added Mathoho. suffered before. Chief Mberegeni Mukwevho of “I was nothing, starting from scratch Tshimbupfe-Thondoni said he was By Silas Nduvheni
thankful for the foundation, that the day when poor families received food parcels was a great one. “I challenge other businesspeople to emulate what the Mpho Mathoho Foundation has done for our poor communities. It is true that if you give what you have to the poor, God will also give you more one day, because you care for those who cannot afford things,” said Chief Mukwevho. The executive mayor of the Vhembe District Municipality, Cllr Dowelani Nenguda, who is also the chairperson of the Vhembe Food Bank, applauded the Mathoho Foundation for taking a lead in changing the lives of poor people around the Vhembe region for the better.
From left to right: The acting mayor of Collins Chabane Local Muncipality, Cllr Molly Mutele, the executive mayor of Vhembe District, Cllr Dowelani Nenguda, Chief Mmberegeni Mukwevho, Mr Mpho Mathoho from the Mpho Mathoho Foundaion and Sampson Netshimbupfe, photographed with some food parcels to be given to poor and needy people in Tshimbupfe.