Mariannhill centre shuts its doors
The Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood in Mariannhill told the Highway Mail that they were talks with NGOs which share the same vision as Jabulani.
‘ALL good things come to an end.’ This is a sad reality for Jabulani Self-Help Centre in Mariannhill, an organisation which has been a beacon of hope for vulnerable people.
The Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood in Mariannhill revealed the news following the article published in the Highway Mail on Friday, 28 January detailing the vandalisation of the 30-year-old centre during the July looting last year.
ALSO READ: Mariannhill precious centre vandalised, stripped during looting
Sr Immaculate Ndlovu said the sister who was the pillar in running it, Sr Marco Gneis is gravely ill and not able to attend to its daily needs.
“As Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood, helping poor people especially women and children has always been a cause close to our hearts.
“The donations came mainly from overseas and others from local organisations such as the rotary clubs,” explained Sr Ndlovu.
When Covid-19 hit, volunteers and staff dispersed due to lockdown rules and that is when the place started attracting vandals and the July unrest made it worse.
The sisters who spoke to the Highway Mail said the premises which Jabulani was operating from belongs to the Mariannhill Monastery and they will be taking over their property.
“This has been in the cards for some time. We do not have anyone who can take over such a huge responsibility, we are getting old. Before the looting, we managed to take all the files with beneficiaries contact details and some of the machines.
They revealed that they are in talks with NGOs which share the same vision as Jabulani.
“The chosen NGO will take over the programmes but in their own way, they will not be using the premises. It is painful to see that a place which has been a pillar of strength for many people is shutting down but we are grateful that good that has been done cannot be undone. We have no doubt that the new organisation that we will choose will care for the beneficiaries as Sr Gneis and her team did,” she said.
ALSO READ: Criminals target Mariannhill centre
The sisters added that they were grateful to Gloria Shange who has been overseeing the running of the organisation and continues to share donations with the beneficiaries.
“Society of Saint Vincent de Paul continues to donate food parcels which Shange distributes accordingly. She has a big heart and cares for her community, her work speaks for itself,” said Sr Ndlovu.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
