Phalaborwa Rotary raises R318k for cataract surgeries

PHALABORWA – The Phalaborwa Rotary Club hosted a successful fundraising gala dinner on Friday, October 17, at the Cajori Hotel, raising R318 250 toward its ambitious goal of funding 100 cataract operations at Maphutha L. Malatji Hospital.

The initiative, held in partnership with the South African Council for the Blind (SACB), aims to fund cataract operations for patients whose vision can be restored through surgery. Each operation costs R7 630, bringing the total target to R763 000.

The project is part of a broader campaign to reduce the cataract backlog in the area and improve access to essential eye care for underprivileged community members.

According to club representative Dr Simon Kudze, the event was not merely a fundraiser but a humanitarian mission to restore hope and dignity.

“We are here to restore the eyesight of our communities. Our goal is to raise money for 100 cataract operations, and we are not doing this alone but together with everyone, to assist the less privileged patients from the hospital,” he said.

The evening was attended by Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba as the keynote speaker, Ba-Phalaborwa Mayor Merriam Malatji, and other municipal officials, medical professionals, traditional leaders, business executives, mining representatives, and members of various civic and faith-based organisations.

Delivering her keynote address, Ramathuba praised Rotary for its continued commitment to humanitarian service.

“This is more than a gala; it is a gathering of purpose, a meeting of hearts determined to restore hope, restore dignity, and restore possibility. Leadership is not only found in high offices and public platforms but lives among ordinary men and women who choose to take extraordinary action to change lives,” she said.

She described the cataract campaign as an act of humanity that goes beyond medical care, symbolising compassion and unity.

“When we talk about backlogs in the medical fraternity, we do not only talk about statistics. We talk about grandmothers who can no longer see the smiles of their grandchildren, fathers who cannot work due to blindness, and young people whose dreams are dimmed by preventable blindness,” she added.

Ramathuba praised Phalaborwa Rotary under the leadership of Thabiso Mkhombo for taking proactive steps to address the crisis instead of “turning a blind eye”.

“As the provincial government, we are grateful to the Phalaborwa Rotary Club, which did not turn a blind eye. Instead, they reached out to the provincial Department of Health and called for a partnership in reducing the cataract backlog,” she said.

She urged other community stakeholders, especially the mining sector, to invest in human development.

“Corporate social investment is not a box-ticking exercise. It is a partnership for shared prosperity,” she said.