Picture (Supplied): Moja Chicken and Kemisetso Cleaning and Pest Control owner, Lehlogonolo “Tloks Lepara” Motseeng
By OBAKENG MAJE
Taung-born entrepreneur, Lehlogonolo Motseeng (32) celebrated Father’s Day by lending the helping hand to the impoverished. Motseeng donated food parcels to ten families at his hometown, Magogong village near Taung on Friday.
“I am a compassionate person by nature and this initiative was part of my social responsibility. You will be aware that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many livelihoods especially those who are from destitute backgrounds.
“I was assisted by the leadership of the community to identify those families and I hope this will lighten up their faces. Most people are struggling to make ends meet especially during this pandemic. We cannot always rely on the government for assistance,” he said.
Motseeng who is the founder and owner of a food outlet, Moja Chicken and Kemisetso Cleaning and Pest Control companies also encouraged other business persons to come on board. He added that even though the country is faced with treble challenges such as poverty, inequality and unemployment it is paramount to turn the deluge.
“I saw the magnitude of contributing as a responsible citizen. I know what it means to be subjected to poverty as I have experienced that a while back. So, this initiative will not be a once-off thing, but an ongoing project,” said Motseeng.
Tloks Lepara as Motseeng is affectionately known to the music fraternity also encouraged men to take a stand against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). He said South Africa experienced a haemorrhage after shocking GBV statistics.
“South Africa has one of the world’s highest gender-based violence cases. It is heartbreaking to read about horrendous tales of young girls and women going missing, being raped and killed on a daily basis.
“So, my message to both women and men is simple. Let’s respect each other as fellow human beings and I urge men not to use their masculinity to oppress women and children. May we rather protect and love them than killing them,” said Motseeng.
He called on men to stand together and fight the plague. Motseeng also said it is significant to teach young boys how to love and protect women and girls.
“May we teach them that women are not punching bags and they should be loved and be protected. As a father, it is imperative to take responsibilities because you are not only doing it for oneself, but for the whole society,” said Motseeng.
Meanwhile, the Sonke Gender Justice Communications and Strategic Information Unit Manager, Given Sigauqwe calls on neighbours to be under the constant watch of an abusive member of the household. Sigaugwe said making a phone call to get help is not always possible either.
“Unwatched and unchecked – women, children and other vulnerable groups are finding themselves at the mercy of their abusers. This is not the time to be quiet. We must be loud enough to make a difference to those who are impacted by domestic violence.
“There is no doubt that as a nation we are stronger together, so now we have another national call of solidarity. To greatly reduce the frequency and severity of domestic violence attacks in this period, we need to call on our neighbours to help protect each other.”
Sonke is calling on every woman and man next door – to #SPEAKOUT on social media and pledge their commitment to watch out for gender-based in their neighbourhood. Domestic violence can be reported to toll-free Gender-Based Violence Call Centre on 0800 428 428 or 1207867#.
The Guardian 