Meet Philippe Mokolo: The man documenting and serving Joburg south’s communities
Community is a priority to Philippe and he is a people’s person.
Helping people and availing himself whenever needed have always been Philippe Mokolo’s (51) strong traits and he wants to keep it like that.
He has a familiar face in the south of Johannesburg, especially in Turffontein and Rosettenville. You can’t miss the bespectacled gent who always has a camera around his neck and a cellphone in his hand.
Documenting the events of Joburg’s south is his passion. He spoke to the Southern Courier about his journey.
“I came here from Cameroon in 2006 as a sworn translator, mainly translating for SAQA foreign academic achievements from French to English and vice versa. I was a teacher of French, English and literature in drama school. I have an ordinary and advanced level in the general certificate of education, and also a bilingual degree in French and English.
“My involvement in selflessness in helping people earned me recognition when I got an attestation from the SA Red Cross. Similar accolades came from the ANC and Sanco where I help fellow foreigners to be integrated in the community,” explained Philippe.
He documents many events, especially at schools, posting his findings on social media.
“I cannot pass a burst pipe in the street without reporting it to the authorities. The recent fire in Booysens informal settlement is well documented by me. I will then create a WhatsApp group for the community where I also share my work.
“I help people a lot in the area, even those who want to use internet, I avail myself and sometimes I pay for the services. With the rapport I have built in many years, people would often call me first when there are incidents because I am reliable and always accessible,” he said.
Philippe wishes to continue doing what he does best for the community and he is available for any event or community engagements. He can be contacted on 073 666 5307.
