Police help charities

Two organisations that benefited from the JMPD 2nd Annual Chief's Charity Golf Day, an annual fundraiser, were delighted with the donations, handed over at the JMPD headquarters.
TWO non-governmental organisations were elated with the money donated to them from the JMPD Annual 2nd Chief's Charity Golf Day.

ElsieThari Ya Basadi: Thankful for the supportThe Joburg Society for the Blind and Thari ya Basadi each received R20 000 from the member of the mayoral committee for safety, Matshidiso Mfikoe. The golf day was held at Glenvista Country Club on 4 May and about R120 000 was raised. Clinix, Syntell, Graffiti, 3M, MAG, AMH, SAB and Supa Quick chipped in as sponsors.

At the handover ceremony at the Johannesburg metropolitan police department (JMPD) headquarters in Martindale on 18 May, Elsie Dingalibala, the founder of Thari Ya Basadi, welcomed the donation. Her organisation would be able to move on through such support, she added.

The organisation, which is in Lenasia, helps child-headed families and people with disabilities. “I am happy,” she said. “I feel like crying. I don’t have the words to express my thoughts … My organisation is situated in a poverty-stricken area and faces a lot of challenges.”

Vangile Nyamathe, the chief executive officer of Johannesburg Society for the Blind, said the money would help the training and development of blind people. “Many blind people do not have the skills or qualifications to be incorporated into the sector,” said Nyamathe. “The donation will help us expand our training academy and accept more blind students.”

The society promotes the rights and abilities of visually impaired people through self-help, education and the provision of skills and resources for independent living.

Society for the BlindVangile Nyamathe says the donation will help train the blindJMPD’s spokesperson, Wayne Minnaar, thanked the sponsors for their support and contribution to the success of the day. “We could not have raised these funds without the generosity of our sponsors and we could not put on the tournament at all without the efforts of JMPD’s organising team, which ensured that everything went smoothly.”

He added that the remaining proceeds from the golf tournament would be given to children of officers whose parents were killed in the line of duty. Since 2001, about 28 JMPD officers have died while on duty.

Mfikoe urged the NGOs to make good use of the money. “We appreciate the support from our sponsors and hope that the NGOs will spend the money wisely on their beneficiaries,” said Mfikoe.

Last year, R60 000 was raised at the inaugural Chief of Police Charity Golf Day and Johannesburg Child Welfare was the chosen beneficiary.