MTN has pledged R1m to support disaster relief and recovery efforts in KwaZulu-Natal following the heavy rains and flooding that claimed the lives of more than 70 people, and displaced thousands of residents this week.

MTN has contributed the funds to Gift of the Givers, Africa’s largest non-profit disaster relief organisation, who are coordinating relief efforts in partnership with local and provincial disaster management teams. 

MTN’s donation is also is aimed at supplementing assistance being provided by civil society, private sector donors, and the emergency funds that President Cyril Ramaphosa has allocated towards humanitarian efforts to alleviate the plight of affected residents and communities.

Gift of the Givers will use the funds for logistical support and to provide essential services, like food parcels and blankets, to communities that have been left destitute by the ravaging floods. 

“Our hearts go out to all those who have lost loved ones or have been displaced by the recent floods. It is most often the most vulnerable members of society, with the least resources – women and children – who are adversely affected by these natural disasters. A calamity of this magnitude calls upon all of us to assist those impacted in whichever way we can,” said Kusile Mtunzi-Hairwadzi, General Manager: MTN SA Foundation.

“As a company that always strives to make a positive difference in the communities in which we operate, MTN hopes that this gesture will help to cushion the blow of this disaster and assist Gift of the Givers in making all the necessary humanitarian interventions,” said Mtunzi-Hairwadzi.