Kgaugelo Mabetha, a three-month-old baby who was born without limbs, received a new lease on life, after the SABC in Limpopo donated R35 000 towards her well-being.

Kgaugelo Bothlokwa Mabetha of Nwamitwa Village outside Tzaneen in Limpopo was born without legs and has only one hand. After the birth of the child, the mother, Nthabiseng Mabetha, did not know what to do. Her fortunes changed for the better after a visit by well-known Munghana Lonene gospel presenter Beka Ntsanwisi, who counseled her in order to make her comfortable in her predicament.

Ntsanwisi, who has a heart of gold, was greatly moved and she decided to do something to ease the girl’s plight. “I love people and children take a central part of my life. The mere sight of the baby made me feel for the mother and I decided to act,” she said. She said she approached her employer, the SABC, and sold the idea of raising funds for the baby. The idea was quickly snapped by the management, who managed to raise an amount of R35 000 that will be used to assist the baby.

Ntsanwisi said she also engaged other local businesses, who were also more than ready to help. “All the businesses I called on were accommodating towards my request and a well-known funeral parlour, Maeteko Funeral Undertakers, opened up their hearts and donated R15 000. Moshole Funerals donated R10 000 and also promised to buy groceries for the baby every month.”

The general manager of the SABC Limpopo combo, Mr Victor Ravhuanzwo, said his organization was committed to total citizen empowerment and would always go an extra mile to help the needy. “It is through the listernership that our organization has grown to be the force it is today, and what we are doing here today falls under the ambit of our social responsibility programme,” he said. He said the public broadcaster is not only confined to broadcasting but is also assisting three hospices: Tonda Lushaka at Madombidzha - Vhembe, Khulani in Mopani District and Practieseer at Burgersfort in the Sekhukhune District.

He said as part of their social commitment, they have gone as far as accommodating people with disabilities, orphans and vulnerable people.  “Last month alone we managed to clothe them to the value of R20 000 and we would like to see the baby grow and be a responsible citizen of this country. Children are our future and we have to do everything possible to assist them,” he said.

Ravhuanzwo added that the broadcaster also donated R150 000 towards the well-being of a ritual murder survivor, Nyelisani Sidimela, who made headlines some three years ago after her lips were mercilessly cut off by ritual murderers and was left to die in the bushes not far away from her home in Makonde, outside Thohoyandou.

“Our assistance does not end there as, not long ago, we managed to build a disadvantaged and disabled man, Rampamba of Guyuni in the Mutale Municipality, a decent shelter and also provided him with a wheelchair," Ravhuanzwo said.