36-year-old sent to initiation school through donations
Joint efforts help change Ezibeleni’s man life
Embo Madoda, along with Chris Hani District Municipality executive mayor Lusanda Sizani, the ANC Chris Hani region and the ANC Women’s League helped a 36-year-old Ezibeleni man attend initiation school, and celebrated his homecoming recently.
This is one of the positive stories after the Eastern Cape lost more than 30 initiates this season.
Zanemvula Mpiyakhe Zwelibanzi, who had struggled to attend initiation school, said all his friends had left him.
A hugely grateful Zwelibanzi said he would not have been able to attend initiation school without the donation.
Speaking to The Rep, he thanked all those who contributed to his journey to manhood and encouraged them to do the same for other poor families.
SA National Civic Organisation Ezibeleni leader, Dumisani Njozela, said Sanco had tried to assist Zwelibanzi in the past.
“We tried to organise a donation in 2020 but we were hit by Covid-19 and we could not send him to the school.
“Again last year we were short of funds and we decided to contact Sithembele Yamaphi of Embo Madoda to ask for donations from him,” he said.
Njozela said Yamaphi agreed to do all he could to assist Zwelibanzi.
“He helped us with looking for donations, and Sizani and Nosipho Papiyana were among those who donated and made Zwelibanzi’s homecoming celebrations a success,” he said.
Njozela thanked Embo Madoda for the role it played in the fight against initiate deaths in the province and encouraged government to work with Yamaphi.
Yamaphi said after Njozela approached him asking for donations to assist Zwelibanzi, they had visited him to assess his situation.
“I then went to look for people who can help me send him to initiation school.”
Thanks to the combined
donations from Sizani, Papiyana and ANC members, they were able to help him.
“We bought food, sheep and goats that were used in the whole process,” Yamaphi said.
“Also, our donors managed to buy alcohol and clothes for the homecoming celebrations.
“His homecoming celebration was one of the best.
“Every season I send two initiates to initiation school for free. We look at the initiate’s background and then start looking for donations,” he said.
Yamaphi said his work “speaks for itself” and this season alone, he had 72 initiates.
“I would like to encourage the communities to work with traditional surgeons and help fight the death of initiates.”