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Leonard Ncube in Hwange
Philanthropist Dr Killer Zivhu has urged the Government to prioritise social welfare to ensure the disadvantaged are not left out as the country’s economy improves under President Mnangagwa’s administration.

He was addressing villagers in Jabulani Village in Lupinyu, on the outskirts of Hwange after his Killer Zivhu Foundation donated foodstuffs to Ms Anna Ngwenya at her homestead and launched a goat project to benefit villagers in various districts.

Dr Zivhu said his wish was for politicians to have a heart for disadvantaged people regardless of their location.

“We should start appreciating that we are all Zimbabweans regardless of where we are based,” he said. “I am from Chivi where I won as MP, but I have come to Hwange because my belief is that we should be national rather than constituency leaders.

“The foundation is going to build a three-roomed house and a kitchen hut for Gogo Ngwenya. We have brought some groceries which should take her for a month and she will also be receiving similar items every month. We don’t want our elderly and disadvantaged to suffer.”

Dr Zivhu said his foundation had launched a goat project to benefit villagers in other districts like Chivi, Chipinge and some parts of Plumtree.

For more than 10 years, Ms Ngwenya has been surviving on handouts from well-wishers.

With a single dilapidated hut which she shares with her seven-year-old great grandson, 80-year-old Ms Ngwenya had lost any hope of ever leading a decent life and eating better food.

She cannot remember when her husband died, leaving her with three children, two of whom are also late.

Her remaining daughter married and bore two girls who are leading their lives elsewhere.

One of the granddaughters Ms Juliet Ncube aged 30, is the mother of the boy who lives with Ms Ngwenya.

The gods seem to have smiled on her after Chivi South National Assembly member Dr Zivhu visited her homestead on Saturday and pledged to build her a three-roomed house and a kitchen hut to be completed before the end of the year.

Through the Killer Zivhu Foundation, Dr Zivhu, who is president of the Cross Border Association of Zimbabwe, also pledged monthly groceries for the elderly woman and her great grandson Melusi.

On Saturday, Dr Zivhu gave her an assortment of groceries including mealie-meal, sugar, cooking oil, bath and washing soap as well as meat.

She will get a similar consignment from Dr Zivhu on a monthly basis.

Ms Ngwenya was the first beneficiary of a goat project launched by the Killer Zivhu Foundation in the area, targeting disadvantaged families around the country’s rural districts.

Dr Zivhu said the foundation will give five goats to each homestead as seed capital, with each targeted community set to receive 1 500 goats.

Ms Ngwenya could not hide her joy, as other villagers who are also beneficiaries of the project paid gratitude to the politician cum philanthropist.

“I am overjoyed,” she said. “My grandson hasn’t eaten anything since morning as we don’t have any food here.

“I was about to make porridge for him when you arrived as we didn’t even know when our next meal will be.”

Village head Mr Gama Siwela who was handed the money to buy goats on behalf of Ms Ngwenya said: “We have been given $180 to buy five goats for Gogo Ngwenya. My plea is for people not to steal her property, we know sometimes people have broken into her hut and stole the little food well-wishers would have given her.”

The villagers welcomed the gesture, saying it will transform the live of money who have been struggling to survive.