There are only two days to go until the tee-off at the Olivewood Wildlife Estate & Golf Club for the Swing for Peace Golf Day, a charity event organised by the Gcinabantu Hutchison Ngcukayitobi Foundation.
The annual fundraiser, which takes the form of the foundation’s first-ever golf day this year, will celebrate its achievements of the past 12 months and raise funds for 2025.
On Thursday, esteemed guests such as radio personality Umhlobo Wenene’s Putco Mafani, emcee of the event, will spend the day on the greens, before a lavish gala dinner later that night.
The foundation was launched in 2022 by ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi with his siblings, Tembeka and Brenda, as a nonprofit, community-based organisation.
Its aim was to address social ills through relevant services, education and empowerment of community members about human, women’s and children’s rights.
Its operations include a twice-daily feeding scheme for about 120 parents and children in Stoney Drift.
The foundation has organised numerous donation drop-offs of school supplies, toys and sporting equipment across the Eastern Cape.
It supports back-to-school initiatives, school shoe collections, sanitary towel drives and has donated electronic devices to four high schools in the province, including setting up Wi-Fi connectivity.
Last weekend, the foundation collaborated with long-time partner, the Dan Pasiya Foundation, for a sports tournament and outreach day at Lupapasi village in Cala where 24 teams competed in both netball and soccer.
More than 180 people also received free medical consultations, referrals and medication, in partnership with the Black Hawk Foundation and the department of health.
In total, they have supported four outreach programmes for 64 soccer teams and 16 netball teams.
Chair Brenda Ngcukayitobi was proud of the response from the people of the Eastern Cape to their initiatives addressing poverty and malnutrition.
“We have seen communities at the forefront of our initiatives, collaborating with us for awareness campaigns, particularly against gender-based violence,” she said.
“For the first time in 2024, we hosted a high school debate and I am still teary recalling the involvement of both boys and girls in the topics of GBV, teenage pregnancy and so forth.
“The youth should be involved in seeking solutions to social ills.”
GNF was named in honour of their late mineworker father.
The siblings were raised by their late mother, social activist Nomsa Nonkanyiso Thelma Ngcukayitobi, affectionately known as Mangcuka, who dedicated her life to uplifting the working-class community of Lupapasi eCala and passed away in February.
“With the starting of this foundation, we have learnt that both our parents were very big on charity work.
“Our mother was a nurse and community worker throughout her life.
“We had a mobile clinic donated to the foundation and named it after her.
“They both lived selfless lives and I am super proud that we got to witness them rooted within their communities and doing what they could to serve.
“It is the humility with which they shared their lives with others that inspires us to never look away when there is someone in need, be it protection, food, emotional support or just social support.
“So, do wave when you see the Mangcukas Mobile clinic, it does carry both our parents in name and in services.”
Volunteer and organiser of the Swing for Peace Golf Day, Lazola Jafta, said they hoped to raise about R2m towards numerous community projects for 2025.
“Every year in November we raise funds for the next year’s programmes,” Jafta said.
“A major highlight of this year was having our own mobile clinic, we have been able to assist so many people, be it through feeding schemes, our bimonthly doctor visits ... to see the smiles on people’s faces.”
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