EZAKHENI TOWNSHIP: The International Nelson Mandela Day is celebrated each year on the 18 July to honour the life and legacy of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, which is Tata’s Birthday. The United Nations officially declared the day in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010.
The Department of Public Works - Midlands Region commemorated the 2023 Nelson Mandela Day on the 18 July 2023 with Sibusisiwe Home for the mentally disabled children at Ezakheni location in Ladysmith, spending their 67 minutes of Goodwill by renovating the facility.
The founder Ms Busisiwe Sthebe established the Sibusisiwe Home for the Mentally Disabled children in the 1980s. It emerged that, she identified a need for such a facility as she mothered a disabled child herself. Therefore, she realized that, it is important to help other parents who are in the same situation as hers.
This facility did not help only the community of Ezakheni but also the communities surrounding Ladysmith. When Busisiswe passed on she pleaded with her sister to not abandon the facility and continue to run the centre and that is why it is still standing even today.
The Sibusisiwe Home is a boarding facility which accommodates 18 disabled children between 6 and 18 years of age who are day scholars at Nkanyezi Training Centre in Steadville. It also came to light that, besides boarding fees paid by parents, this facility also depends on donations from community based Good Samaritans.
Mr Thabo Letompa; District Manager, uThukela District Office, mentioned that, the Department of Public Works identified different facilities around Ladysmith that required assistance and Sibusisiwe was one of the institutions that they chose to assist with overall renovations.
Here the celebration of Mandela Day saw 67 minutes spent productively with execution of electrical work, plumbing-installation of water pipes, roof top painting and alterations and installation of new ceiling boards. Accompanying the above article is one of Nelson Mandela’s popular quotes: “One cannot enjoy true freedom while others are still oppressed or discriminated against.” He believed the freedom and equality should be granted to all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity or social background.
Article by Hlengiwe Dlamini and Images by Sibongile Dlangalala