THE WITNESS, MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012 3
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SIYATHEMBA BEN
WHEN Dr Thandeka Mazibuko looks backon her life, she gets scared. She likens thememory to “walking out of a burning houseand being the only survivor”.
Growing up poor, raised solely by hermother and being forced to quit matric andget married at the age of 17 are just someof the challenges Mazibuko had to endure.Butthesehavemadeherstrongerandmoredetermined to make a difference and giveback to her community of kwaNyuswa Vil-lage, Hillcrest.
Mazibuko works at Grey’s Hospital’s on-cology department.
She said her passion for the communitycame from understanding the poverty shehad come from.
Being raised by a domestic worker, lifewas not easy. Sometimes she and heryounger sister would have to eat stalebread which they got from neighbours.
Despite the hardships, she found
strength in prayer and believing in herself.Her life took a different turn after her
school burnt to the ground when she wasin Grade 10 and went to live with relativesin Chesterville so she could continue herschooling.
But things didn’t go quite as planned.When she was in matric, at just 17, she wasforced to get married.
She went back to school, but had to lieto her family who didn’t want her to study.
“They thought I was going to do my driv-er’s licence,” she said.
After passing matric, Mazibuko lefthome to study her BSc at the University ofthe North (University of Limpopo) beforeenrolling at UKZN’s Nelson R. MandelaSchool of Medicine, where she completedher studies through loans.
Her divorce was finalised while she wasstill at university and in her fifth year shefounded Sinomusanothando, a non-profitorganisation that aims to help individualsand communities realise their potentialand enhance their ability to improve theirhealth and quality of life.
Recently she opened up a cancer screen-ing centre in her village, the first of its kindin KwaZulu-Natal. She has partnered withtraditional healers in the venture.
“Patients in the rural areas face a lot ofchallenges.Theyare far fromhospitalsandthey have no education [about cancer].
“I’m a doctor who is a product of this ar-ea. I come to the community and don’t waitfor the community to come to me,” saidMazibuko.
This year she was named the regionalbusiness achiever “social entrepreneur” atthe Business Women’s Association of SouthAfrica awards event in Durban.• [email protected]
LUNGA BIYELA
WITNESS contractor Segaran Naidoo(49), who was shot in the head during arobbery in the CBD last week, died on Sat-urday evening.
Marlon Naidoo (30) said his father’sdeath was a very hard pill to swallow.
“They took a father away from his fami-ly thinking nothing of it. All they took fromhim was a bag that had cents in it,” he saidof the men who shot his father on the cor-ner of Hoosen Haffajee and BoshoffStreets on Thursday.
A tearful Marlon said his father had al-ways gone the extra mile, not only for hisfamily, but for his employees and stran-gers as well.
“My dad lived his life for his wife and
his kids,” he told The Witness.“From Monday to Friday, he would al-
ways cook for my mom. He was alwaysworkinghardandweneverwentonafam-ily holiday up until a month ago when weallwenttotheBergformymom’sbirthday.
“That was a really special time togeth-er.”
Marlon described his father as a manwith a good heart who was loved by allwho knew him.
“He would pick up people in the middleof thenightandgive themfoodandaplacetosleep; that’s thekindofmanthathewas.I got a call from a lady who used to workfor him yesterday.
“She was crying and telling me that hewas a father figure to her.”
Since the shooting on Thursday, his
family had never left his bedside at Medi-clinic.
“We were all there by his side until theend,” he said.
“We’ve received a lot of support fromfriends and family, and some people whocame to see him in hospital who were not
“It’s sad to see him go, especially at thistime of the year,” he said.
Naidoo’s funeral will be held tomorrowat the Aryan Hall in Raisethorpe.
He is survived by his wife Sandra, whopreviously worked at The Witness, Mar-lon, and a daughter, Marlini (26).
POLICE in Ladysmithare looking for MesuliMavimbela, who hasbeen missing for aweek.
Mavimbela, a policeofficer from kwaMashuwas last known to bedriving a silver ToyotaVerso (ND 449 265)from Burford to Uitvalin Ladysmith, said police spokesperson CaptainThulani Zwane.
“He is tall, slim and cleanshaven. He was lastseen wearing a faded pair of jeans and a KaizerChiefs replica Tshirt,” said Zwane.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts ofMavimbela is asked to call Detective Warrant Officer Yssel at 036 638 3327 or Ladysmith police station at 036 638 3312. Anonymous callers canphone Crime Stop at 086 001 0111. — WR.
LUNGA BIYELA
A HORRIFIC car crash on Bombay Road in North-dale yesterday evening left two people dead and an-other two fighting for their lives.
Nazeem Pillay, who was one of the first peopleon the scene, said he was walking along the roadwhen he saw a grey Opel Astra attempt to overtakea red Ford Escort.
“There was another car coming head on and theguy in the Astra tried to get back into the lane. Heswerved back and hit the red car,” said Pillay.
“I managed to pull out one boy from the red car,but I was unable to save the man and the womanin the front.”
The boy, he said, looked about “16 or 17”.Other people on the scene said there had been
twoteenageboys in thebackof theredcar,butPillaytold The Witness he saw only one.
In the other car, he couldn’t do anything for thepassenger, who was trapped under the dashboard.The driver was nowhere to be seen.
People from the neighbourhood looked on inshock as the injured were being taken away by am-bulance. The road was closed off as police, fire de-partment officers and paramedics attended to thescene.
By the time The Witness left the scene last night,the deceased were still trapped in the car and cov-ered in foil blankets.
Another six people were killed in two separateaccidents that happened on the province’s roads atthe weekend. Five of them were believed to be holi-daymakers from Gauteng.
THAMSANQA MAGUBANE
SPRING Grove Dam in Rosettanear Mooi River is almost com-plete, with the most critical part,the wall, 80% built.
The dam wall is 37 metres highand 607 metres wide. The damhasacapacityofabout140millioncubic metres.
It is expected to provide waterto at least two million residents intheMooiRiverdistrict,otherpartsof uMgungundlovu district andthe Durban metro.
Spring Grove Dam waslaunched by Water Affairs Minis-ter Edna Molewa last year as aninitiative to secure water for com-munities that had previously beenaffected by water shortages.
TheWitnessvisited thedamlastweek to see what progress hasbeen made. The wall is expectedto be completed in the first partof next year.
Kogi Govender, of the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority, the im-plementing agents of the project,said they had encountered manychallenges during construction.
“We had to deal with the issueof expropriating the land and wehad to compensate all the landowners; we had to pay fair marketvalue for their land,” said Goven-der.
“There are also many people[mostly farm dwellers] who werebeing affected.
“Wehavefoundareaswhereweare building them houses. Thehouses are standard RDP houses,but in cases where there are largefamilies, more rooms are built toaccommodate them.
“We are also in the process ofrelocating some of the graves inthe area.
“It has been established thatthere are about 140 graves thatwill need to be relocated andmany of the families had request-ed that their families be reburiedat a cemetery in Mooi River, andthere was a shortage if burialspace.”
Govender said people who losttheir jobs and income becausesome farms ceased operationswere compensated.
“Some of the people had beenlaid off and they had to be com-pensated for thataswelluntil theycould find another job.”
Shami Harichunder of UmgeniWater said: “The dam will bemanaged by Umgeni on behalf ofWater Affairs and it is expected itwill begin operating next year.”• [email protected]
ATTEMPTS by two drug dealersand a middleman to corrupt a po-lice officer have landed them in hotwater.
On Friday last week, detectivesof the Durban Organised CrimeUnit and members of the DurbanFlying Squad narcotics task teamarrested two drug dealers and amiddlemanwhotried tobribeapo-lice officer to leak informationabout drug raids.
The three suspects, aged 22, 24and 38, are expected to appear incourt soon.
Colonel Jay Naicker said therewere ongoing efforts by the FlyingSquad narcotics task team to curbdrug dealing in the Chatsworth ar-ea.Drugsyndicateshadbeenmak-ing substantial financial losses andhad made a desperate attempt tosuborn a police officer.
“The two drug dealers are al-leged to have used the intermedi-ary to approach a member of theflying squad and negotiate that thepolice officer supply them with in-formation of future drug opera-tions in exchange for cash.”
The police officer reported thematter to his superior who in turncontactedtheorganisedcrimeunit.
Naicker said: “An organisedcrime project was registered anda five-month long investigation be-gan. Various payments were madeto the police officer and detailedrecords were kept of the corruptdealings.”
The drug dealers handed overR59 000incashtothepoliceofficer.During the raid police also seizedan unlicensed 9mm pistol, R13 000in cash and items of jewellery fromthe homes of the suspects.
Naicker warned that such oper-ations would continue in order todisrupt the activities of drug deal-ers, especially over the festive sea-son. — Witness Reporter.
POLICE in Amanzimtotiare looking for MfundoNtando Ngcobo, agedfive, from EzimangweniReserveinkwaMakhutha,who was last seen onTuesday last week.
Police spokespersonCaptain Thulani Zwanesaid Mfundo was lastseenbyhisauntataround8 am playing in the yard.
“He was last seen wearing black pants and a blueTshirt with black marks on the front.”
Zwane urged anyone with information about the boyto call Warrant Officer Jwara at 031 913 1308 or CrimeStop at 086 001 0111. — Witness Reporter.
JOHANNESBURG — Ayoung woman bitten by asnake, believed to be apuff adder, while walkingalong a nature trail atShongweni, outside Durban, yesterday was in astable condition, paramedics said.
ER24 spokespersonDerrick Banks said para
medicstreatedherbeforeshe was taken to Hillcrestprivate hospital whereshe was reported to be“absolutely fine”.
Banks said she hadbeen walking with friendsin the Giba Gorge areawhen the serpent struckher through her shoe.
— Sapa.
SpringGroveDam nearscompletion
Drug triotrapped inbribe sting
Two killed in latenight PMB crash
PHOTO: SUPPLIEDMesuli Mavimbela.
PHOTO: SUPPLIEDMfundo NtandoNgcobo.
LADYSMITH: POLICEMANMISSING FOR A WEEK
SHONGWENI: WOMANHIKER‘FINE’ AFTER SNAKE BITE
AMANZIMTOTI: POLICESEARCH FOR MISSING BOY
PHOTO: SUPPLIEDSegaran Naidoo.
even family. You could see thathe touched a lot of lives.
“Although I am sad that hehas died, a part of me is alsohappy that he can now rest, be-cause he has worked hard all ofhis life,” he added.
Witness circulation managerClive Reddy said Naidoo was ahard-working and dedicatedcontractorwhoalwayswent theextra mile.
“He had a lot of respect fromhis colleagues. He was a well-liked guy and he will be sorelymissed. Our thoughts andprayers go out to the family atthis time of grief.
“As a contractor, Naidoo con-trolled street sales, and had ap-proximately 60 people in hisemploy.
“He created a lot of employ-ment for a lot of people,” saidReddy.
Naidoo had been part of TheWitness family formore than30years.
Colleague Pat Pillay saidNaidoo was a very hard-work-ing and helpful person.
‘Marlon Naidoo, speaking about‘Witness’ contractor Segaran Naidoo(49), who died yesterday.
THEY TOOK A FATHER AWAY FROMHIS FAMILY THINKING NOTHING OF IT.ALL THEY TOOK FROM HIM WAS A BAGTHAT HAD CENTS IN IT … ALTHOUGHI AM SAD THAT HE HAS DIED, A PARTOF ME IS ALSO HAPPY THAT HE CANNOW REST, BECAUSE HE HAS WORKEDHARD ALL OF HIS LIFE.
‘Witness’ contractor fondly remembered as a loving father
PHOTOS: JONATHAN BURTONDr Thandeka Mazibuko, who works at Grey’s Hospital, is passionate aboutcreating cancer awareness in rural communities.
Traditional healer Khanyisile Mkhize (left), Dr Thandeka Mazibuko (centre) andNokusho Bhengu, a cancer patient.
CANCER: Doctor opens KZN’sfirst village screening centre
Passionateaboutpatients
‘Dr Thandeka Mazibuko,Grey’s Hospital’s oncologydepartment
‘PATIENTS IN THE RURALAREAS FACE A LOT OFCHALLENGES. THEY ARE FARFROM HOSPITALS … I COMETO THE COMMUNITY ANDDON’T WAIT FOR THECOMMUNITY TO COME TO ME.’
