Durban — The family of transport and energy business mogul Lizwi Maphumulo has announced a R1 million fund that will go towards various community development initiatives in uMzumbe and the greater South Coast.
The community development initiative was unveiled during Maphumulo’s recent 55th birthday celebration.
Slindile Maphumulo, spokesperson for the Lizwi Maphumulo Foundation, said that Lizwi “Slow Poison” Maphumulo has in the past undertaken countless community upliftment initiatives with a keen focus on children, women, poverty alleviation as well as ensuring sustainable generation and supply of electricity for people in Mthwalume, uMzumbe Municipality.
Some of the most notable initiatives undertaken by Maphumulo are:
- Construction and installation of an electricity transformer in response to load shedding, which had contributed to a rise in criminal activity in the area of Mthwalume. Maphumulo wanted to ensure the safety of children and women, as well as the survival of small businesses in the area.
- On an annual basis, Maphumulo has donated registration fees to the area's youth wishing to pursue higher education studies, as well as to poor families wanting to put children through school. He paid for their uniforms, food and in some instances transportation.
- His business ventures employ more than 1000 people from the local community of Mthwalume and surrounding areas.
- Maphumulo has built several churches, houses for the poor, community halls as well as recreational facilities. He is currently busy with two housing projects for two families that he has identified as being in desperate need for housing.
- Through his civil and construction company, Maphumulo has constructed roads, walkways, and bridges for communities in the greater South Coast.
- Together with his family, Maphumulo runs a burial scheme to assist poor families when they need to bury their loved ones.
- In his capacity as a taxi boss and regional leader of Santaco, he has seen to the construction of bus depots, taxi ranks as well as an office complex for the Mthwalume Taxi Association, in a bid to ensure that the association conducts its affairs professionally and in a way that has a positive impact on commuters.
Maphumulo said this foundation was established so that they could grow and reflect on the hard work done by Lizwi.
“As a family, we saw it fitting that we take a percentage of profits from the transport business and use it to further drive socio economic development in uMzumbe and beyond. As Maphumulo’s family we want to help continue with the work that he is most passionate about, which is ensuring the socio-economic emancipation of poor and marginalised people,” she added.
“There are several projects which are done individually, including ensuring that first-year university students and scholars are taken to school. This will now be done under the banner of the Lizwi Maphumulo Foundation,” she said.
Boy Zondi, Santaco president said: “Having Maphumulo as a business associate and reflecting on the role he has played not just in the transport business, but that he is able to give back to his people shows how humble and how driven he is.”
Lizwi Maphumulo said he was grateful that he has survived all the bullets which came with his line of work.
“So this is just a push in the right direction and I am able to continue to be ahelping hand, and ensure that our community is free from crime and unemployment and that basic human rights like water and electricity are provided, and that I continue to give where I can.
“Soon there will be a housing project for a child-headed home that I will be passing forth, and this fills my heart,’’ he said.
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