Nothing ‘racist’ about helping the needy in townships – just ask recipients of goodwill

I SEE there were a few fireworks at the Franschhoek Literary Festival regarding anger. I do have to, however, disagree with Thando Mgqolozana saying that white people should “stop going into townships doing charitable work like running soup kitchens. They should go home and work on racism”.

These people who are helping in the townships can certainly not be called racists. I have to ask: has he asked the recipients of the food at the soup kitchens if they want them continued or not? His debate is weak.

There are so many wonderful people doing wonderful things for the poor and underprivileged in this country, and without them this country would be even poorer than it is.

The poverty in this country needs to be addressed no doubt, but what does he hope to achieve by cutting off charitable work? Perhaps he needs to use his energies to fight the corruption in every little hamlet of this country, money that could be used in so many better ways than going into deep dark pockets.

I hope Mr Mgqolozana read the article in the paper yesterday by Duncan McConnachie about a humble project started by him in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape.

What a feel-good story and, like the Starfish Foundation, it seems to be growing. What he has done in that area is amazing and can only benefit the poor kids.

As Duncan says, a previous pupil of an underprivileged school in Port Elizabeth wanted to do something for his old school, and Duncan is looking for a privileged school to assist – and I am sure this will happen. Pupils and teachers of both schools will benefit from this interaction. So I am afraid Mr Mgqolozana is wrong in his assessment of white people doing so-called good in the townships.

Long may these wonderful people continue their amazing work.