Soft-hearted traffic chief sets a snowball rolling
A traffic chief was so upset by watching Butterworth children going to school barefoot he went and bought them shoes.
Jongisizwe Ntungwa, head of provincial traffic control in Butterworth, donated over 20 pairs of shoes to pupils from Siyanda Junior Secondary in KwaYako informal settlement.
Ntungwa said it became too much for him one cold rainy morning when he watched the kids trudging to school barefoot and in the mud.
Ntungwa went to Mnquma mayor Sithembiso Ncetezo and municipal manager Silumko Mahlasela and got them to join him at a jubilant handover ceremony.
Parents, parents, teachers and friends joined in with the other stakeholders under a large tent at the school grounds late last month.
Earlier Ntungwa had asked for a list of children that came from poverty-stricken homes that needed shoes.
Ntungwa now wants the provincial education department to join him on his journey to provide shoes for all the children at needy schools in his area.
The education department chipped in with trousers for the boys and gyms for the girls, as well as jerseys and shirts for everyone.
Education spokesman Victor Mkentani said: “We want children to stay in school and away from drugs and alcohol. So we will provide them with what they need to stay in school.”