Some cried tears of joys, others ululated and danced as billionaire and philanthropist couple Patrice Motsepe and his wife Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe donated a combined R5m to schools and churches in Mthatha and Aliwal North on Wednesday.
The Motsepe Foundation’s gifts included bursaries for 60 youths.
The foundation also donated R150,000 to 33 schools and 37 churches in Alfred Nzo, Joe Gqabi and the OR Tambo districts.
While Moloi-Motsepe was dishing out the funds to 29 beneficiaries at the Methodist Church of Southern Africa hall at Slovo Park in Mthatha, her husband was doing the same, bringing smiles to 37 beneficiaries in Aliwal North, the town where as a young boy he studied at the Saint Joseph Mission School for 10 years until Grade 10.
The school has since been renamed Bishop Demont High School.
Some of the beneficiaries said they would spend the donations on: Ablution facilities;
Science laboratories;
Libraries;
Administration blocks;
Security fences and burglar doors;
Bore holes; and
Sports fields. Others will spend it on installing air conditioners and buying pews.
Moloi-Motsepe said donations were part of the foundation’s schools and churches refurbishment programmes started in 2014.
“Since 2014 we have invested R60m with the refurbishment of schools and churches and on Tuesday alone we invested R5m in this area alone, but in total from last year we have invested about R11m in this area,” the serial do-gooder said.
She said they chose beneficiaries from poor and densely populated areas, while they rewarded the best academic, music or sports performing schools.
“In churches we are looking for those who have a big following so that we can reach as many people as possible,” she said.
Moloi-Motsepe said they included churches because they believed churches had always been historically close to the people’ especially the poor and vulnerable groups.
“So when we help a church we know that we are not assisting an individual but many needy people.
With schools we want to invest in our children in South Africa.
“Children are our future and investing in them is investing in the future and ensuring that South Africa of tomorrow will be in good hands,” she said.
Moloi-Motsepe said that the donation was not the only Christmas present to the Eastern Cape as the foundation will continue with their annual donation of giving toys to children from previously disadvantaged communities.
She said they would donate the toys to 10,000 children this year.
OR Tambo District Municipality mayor Nomakhosazana Meth said the Christmas toys would be distributed to children at Marhambeni village playgrounds behind the Ultra City, in Ngqeleni and Qumbuon Friday.
“We are very excited with the donations by the Motsepe Foundation and it is a nice Christmas present on behalf of the Nelson Mandela and Albertina Sisulu centenary and this will go a long way in assisting to develop our schools and churches and restore moral fibre within our society,” she said.
Motsepe’s former teacher, Sister Mary Martin, 90, of the Catholic Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Aliwal North and current school principal, Pheo Mitchell, said they were happy that the billionaire had ploughed back into the school and to 36 other beneficiaries – 20 churches and 16 schools in the area.
Martin said: “I am so happy to see him now as a progressed man.
“When I was his teacher he was a young boy with a pleasant character.
“I am happy with his philanthropist work and that he decided to plough back to the school and other areas.”..