Raff iVundraz’s star keeps shining bright
He holds many a position in local community forums and has been instrumental in the Msukaligwa Arts and Culture Forum's auditions currently underway around Msukaligwa.
Sikhumbuzo Raphael Mthethwa, famously known as Raff iVundraz, is not one to dawdle, but has a finger firmly in every pie.
A quintessential performer, he is the go-to man in Msukaligwa when it comes to art, radio, sport and any charitable events.
Born and raised in Thusi Village, he is a local boy at heart, having started school at Peter Mabuza Primary School and completing his Grade 12 at Cebisa Secondary School.
Not one to sit idle, he joined Lovelife in 2008 where he became a “Mpintshi”, a volunteer in Lovelife programmes.
This gave him an opportunity to be part of the social development programme in the capacity of being a Child and Youth Care Officer (CYCO) ,where his love for helping disadvantaged children began.
The programme was to empower orphans, vulnerable children and children living with disabilities.
They nurtured the youngsters’ skills, making them realise their full potential and dreams through a variety of activities.
When his contract ended, he was absorbed by the Office of the Inspecting Judge as an Independent Correctional Centre Visitor (ICCV) in the programme of the Judicial Inspectorate of Correctional Services where he facilitated activities in prison by conducting private interviews with inmates about their wellbeing and life in prison.
Despite such an altruistic journey, entertainment has always been his calling.
He gravitated towards it and is now producing music and films.
“I have always been an entertainer, I love the arts, culture, how diverse we are in South Africa and how it brings us all together and we have fun with it,” Raff says.
He is largely involved in the Kasi Development Organisation, a registered NPO that helps vulnerable youth in Wesselton by engaging them in sports and art.
The organisation came about after they saw potential artists around Msukaligwa, influenced by negative forces such as substance abuse and crime.
The organisation is subsidised by the Department of Social Development under the Substance Abuse Prevention Programme with the main objective being to prevent substance abuse, not only to artists but to the youth at large.
“We have testimonies of kids we have rescued around Msukaligwa. We engage them in activities of art and entrepreneurship, working with different stakeholders such as the Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation, the Msukaligwa Arts and Culture Forum, the police’s Sector Crime Forum under the leadership of
W/O DJ Skhosana and chairman Sesi Msibi, the Department of Education and the Local Drug Action Committee under the leadership of Mr Dladla from Lothair Police Station,” says Raff.
He holds many a position in these forums and has been instrumental in the Msukaligwa Arts and Culture Forum’s auditions currently underway around Msukaligwa.
His enthusiasm and charismatic personality provide him with numerous jobs as Master of Ceremonies (MC) with his services in demand throughout the province.
His star keeps shining, as he will be hosting the grand finale of the Msukaligwa Arts and Culture Forum on 10 October where performing artists from Msukaligwa will be battling it out in categories of
poetry, art, drama and many more.
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