Businesswoman helps family rebuild home destroyed by storms

At least one family, among many who lost their homes due to heavy rains and storms that battered the OR Tambo District Municipality in recent weeks, has been thrown a lifeline after Qumbu-born businesswoman, Ayanda Kasa, donated building materials to the family to rebuild their home.

Kasa is the founder and group CEO of Fezekisa Investment Holdings, and she made the donation through one of her companies, Fezekisa Media.

The Mtshana family, a family of 11, from Chris Hani Park in Mthatha, had their two houses blown away by heavy rains, accompanied by strong winds on January 8.

Johannesburg-based Kasa was alerted to the disaster that befell the Mtshana family by a video from social media, shared by an official within the office of the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality’s executive mayor.

Some of the storm damage to one of the houses at the Mtshana family homestead.

“After seeing the video, I was shocked and touched by the family situation and immediately contacted other colleagues of mine in the business fraternity to assist the family. My business associate, Nhlanhla Nkomo, who operates the Mthatha Dam Resort, chipped in with R6 000 to cover the cost of labour for the rebuilding work, after I had purchased building materials,” Kasa said.

She said, as someone who comes from a disadvantaged background, she always felt obliged to help those in need, while further calling on other business owners to assist the many others who had lost their homes in the recent storms, adding that government cannot address the infrastructure damage alone.

“The reality is that government is trying its best but, due to backlogs, budget constraints and a myriad of factors, not all households affected by the recent storms can be assisted at once; hence the support from private partners is always needed and appreciated. The King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality appreciates the efforts of Fezekisa Investment Holdings in helping the Mtshana family,” said municipal spokesperson, Sonwabo Mampoza.

Family spokesperson, Zikhona Mtshana, also thanked Kasa and Nkomo for helping her family rebuild their home, saying the rebuilding work was progressing steadily, despite rainfall that sometimes interrupted the rebuilding work.