By Jonk wa Mashamba
news@alexreporter.co.za
I recently visited the man known all over the world as the father of Alex. It was after I was unsuccessful in honouring his invitation when he celebrated his 77th birthday last Friday.
When I got to his place at Second Avenues, he was in a serious meeting, after returning from helping the needy with food parcels. He shut down the meeting and let me in.
He sat around his table surrounded by books, newspapers and reading materials. Beside him was also a small library, where his volume of history can be found.
Just by looking at a picture, he was telling you the date, the place, and what was going on… his memory is still fresh!
As in any interview, talking with him is very simple, but starting a question is hectic… because, is an immense library with massive knowledge.
He has taken numerous photographs with presidents of different countries.
For him, helping the needy is a calling that has turned into a healthy hobby.
“It is a pity that I would have shown you a certificate that I was given by soldiers where they wanted me to seat in the house if I’m over sixty.
“I refused and told them I didn’t start the job that I’m doing because of Covid-19,” he says.
Twala began serving people in 1967. His mother passed away at 100 years old. “I was born to serve, not to destroy.
Asked if he would consider taking a long break to directly assist disadvantaged residents, he said, “I wanted to sit down and relax. I thought that, perhaps because each man drinks, I would start drinking too.
“But every time I think of my mother when she said to me,’ son, you are late. If you start drinking now, we will push you with a wheelbarrow’. That’s still on my mind.”
The same, 1967 year, when he began to be occupied, his first destitute, Rose Tshabalala, whom he buried. And that led to the beginning of his Twala Ma-Afrika funeral.
The busy father, has spoiled the grannies with a special Christmas party at GNF Church last Friday. He says he would be happy if he would see Alex that has no shacks.
” We need more land. And there are lands in Water Fall, Frankenwald, Linbro Park, Marlboro, Modderfontein, and all those other places, because they originally belong to Alexandra.
“What have we done to deserve to be treated in that manner? 27 years later, we still have people living in a shack. Not just in Alex, but in other parts of this country, why? ” He is very worried about shacks that look like a scrap yard.
