News / Local
MDC-T MP seeks five rand donations
17 Dec 2013 at 03:45hrs | Views
BULAWAYO East legislator Thabitha Khumalo has called on city residents to donate R5 each that would go towards the purchase of blankets that would be donated to hospitals and prisons.
Khumalo said she was inspired by initiatives by Sakhile Sibanda-Kamera, a public nurse in Canada who donated more than 1 000 blankets and $10 000 to Mpilo Central and Ingutsheni Central hospitals last week, to launch the appeal.
"I have a proposition for the people of Bulawayo. We should donate R5 each which will be taken to the National Blankets of Zimbabwe to produce blankets that would be donated to hospitals and prisons," the MP said.
"What Sakhile did is quite commendable and it left me asking what we could do as the people of Bulawayo to address the plight of the people in hospitals and prisons. The initiative is good, but more needs to be done."
Khumalo said the donations would also help recapitalise National Blankets of Zimbabwe a locally-based company, which is facing hard times.
"The money would recapitalise the company and restore the jobs that were lost in the years of the economic meltdown," she said. "It is high time that we as the people of Bulawayo do something towards the revival of our industry," Khumalo said.
"We have waited for the government, but the process seems to be taking too long and I am saying let us assist where we can.
"Now we are seeing efforts by Zimbabweans working outside the country coming in to rescue the people and the challenge is on us residents."
Khumalo said she would engage churches, civil society and politicians to support the initiative.
Sibanda-Kamera managed to collect donations for the institutions through various partners after setting up a page on the social networking site Facebook named Blanket Collection for Mpilo Hospital.
The page had 1 799 likes by yesterday.
Khumalo said she was inspired by initiatives by Sakhile Sibanda-Kamera, a public nurse in Canada who donated more than 1 000 blankets and $10 000 to Mpilo Central and Ingutsheni Central hospitals last week, to launch the appeal.
"I have a proposition for the people of Bulawayo. We should donate R5 each which will be taken to the National Blankets of Zimbabwe to produce blankets that would be donated to hospitals and prisons," the MP said.
"What Sakhile did is quite commendable and it left me asking what we could do as the people of Bulawayo to address the plight of the people in hospitals and prisons. The initiative is good, but more needs to be done."
Khumalo said the donations would also help recapitalise National Blankets of Zimbabwe a locally-based company, which is facing hard times.
"The money would recapitalise the company and restore the jobs that were lost in the years of the economic meltdown," she said. "It is high time that we as the people of Bulawayo do something towards the revival of our industry," Khumalo said.
"We have waited for the government, but the process seems to be taking too long and I am saying let us assist where we can.
"Now we are seeing efforts by Zimbabweans working outside the country coming in to rescue the people and the challenge is on us residents."
Khumalo said she would engage churches, civil society and politicians to support the initiative.
Sibanda-Kamera managed to collect donations for the institutions through various partners after setting up a page on the social networking site Facebook named Blanket Collection for Mpilo Hospital.
The page had 1 799 likes by yesterday.
Source - southerneye
