KwaThema – The ANC Ekurhuleni Chief Whip Jongizizwe Dlabathi and Council Speaker Clr Patricia Kumalo delivered a motorised wheelchair, toiletries and blankets to Jabulani Tshabalala.
This was part of the municipal 67 Minutes for Mandela Day initiative on Tuesday.
The chief whip says they received a letter of request from Wheels of Change.
“We were touched by the work the organisation is doing and the story of Jabulani,” he says.
“The 47-year-old, a sole breadwinner, is a hemiplegic, with total paralysis on the entire left side of his body.
“He is a double amputee with one functioning arm and suffered a stroke in 2005.
“In 2009, one of his legs was amputated and his other leg was amputated in 2013.
“We believe and hope the contribution will go a long way towards making his life easier,” he says.
Jabulani, who could not hold back his tears when he received the motorised wheelchair, said his life became difficult after the amputations.
“Through my new wheels I will be able to move around with ease.
“My toilet has been extended from a normal toilet to a paraplegic toilet so I can be independent despite my disabilities,” he says.
Wheels of Change founder and CEO Thami Mankenkeza says, “We are grateful for the support we’ve received from the office of the Ekurhuleni chief whip and social development department for adopting our programme and ensuring that Jabulani gets a brand-new motorised wheelchair.”
