He celebrated his 44th birthday with a large number of guests in attendance.
Former state security minister Bongani Bongo has pledged to support a community NGO that feeds 94 people daily in his township of Siyabuswa.
Bongo turned 44 on Wednesday 29 June 2022 and decided to call scores of people to descend on his home in the rural township on Saturday.
With a large number of unemployed people across municipal district, female pastor Lillian Mahlangu said she decided to cook everyday in order to feed those in need of food.
“It’s painful I must say,” the woman said when speaking to the 013NEWS reporter.
“To see so many people living in poverty in front of you, even having not a single meal a day, that is very painful I must say. So, I decided to do something about it and assist our people,” she said
“It’s called Occupy Community Development Foundation and we started it here in Siyabuswa because we felt that we are not going to run a church while people are poor and don’t have anything to eat,” the pastor said.
Bongo donated groceries to the foundation and said it must continue feeding the 94 people who depend on them – and he will assist.
“The number keeps going up. Last time we had around 15 people coming everyday to eat, it went up to 50 and we are now close to 100. We think that more and more will come,” Mahlangu told the reporter.
Bongo promised to pump financial support because “I myself was raised poor and I know what it means going to bed without food”.
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“So for me I think this must continue. As leaders we must support such initiatives,” the ANC’s NEC member told the 013NEWS reporter while donating groceries to the foundation.
Occupy Community Development Foundation began its work just in January 2022. A lot of people in Bongo’s township of Siyabuswa have been ransacked by the high unemployment that was brought by the Covid-19 pandemic – many of them retrenched and left to fend for themselves.
Ward councillor Xolani Skhosana thanked Mahlangu for her “mercy” towards the poor and wished such initiative can continue countrywide.
“I wish to make a call to anyone to support such initiatives. We are human beings finally and all of us must enter the space of assisting one another. Life is hard outside there and I thank Bongo for assisting this initiative. May God bless him,” Skhosana said.
Bongo celebrated his 44th birthday in style, inviting scores across Mpumalanga to come enjoy festivities at his mother’s house in Siyabuswa Saturday 2 July 2022.
He was born 29 June 1978. A really popular ANC leader in the area, Bongo’s mother watched as scores arrived to see him and celebrate with him as he turned 44.
(edited by ZK)
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