Two of South Africa’s trailblazers – Gift of the Giver’s Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, and the first black person to own a farm in the fine wine town of Franschhoek, Paul Siguqa – shared the floor this week, speaking about the challenges that impede access to education and the opportunities it offers, especially to disadvantaged communities.
Sooliman, who left his three successful medical practices to focus on charity work, which includes disaster response, hunger alleviation, healthcare and the provision of water provision and education, spoke of how a helping hand can change someone’s life.
Siguqa – owner of Klein Goederust wines – a descendant of a generation of wine farm labourers – spoke of how his mother’s determination to ensuring they finish school and study for a profession – inspired him to stay in school to change history, and the fortunes of his family.
The two spoke at an event hosted by Bonitas on the release of its annual report for 2022 on Wednesday.
When all the formalities were concluded with Bonitas reporting a growth in membership, a boost in reserves, an increase in solvency ratio and strong performance in investment, Sooliman shared the importance of working together in solving the country’s challenges.
Sharing an anecdote about TPA Full-Service School, a primary school in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, which had 173 pupils who were identified as have learning disorders, and the difference audiology services brought to the children.
“In a class of 40 to 45 pupils and a teacher who has to deal with so many children with learning disorders, those kids are called stupid,” he said.
“When a lot of those kids have audiology problems … they cannot listen properly; you demoralise a broken child that comes from a socially compromised background,” he said.
“You cannot say to someone ‘you have a problem’; you need to intervene,” he said.
The school, he said, works with different universities to assist in dealing with some of the challenges faced by pupils.
Siguqa told how her mother’s insistence that he and his sister finish school because she wanted a better future for her children, paved the way for him to change the story of his family.
Siguqa said in grade 1 his class had 45 pupils, but when he wrote matric there were only three pupils who sat for the exams.
“A lot of them dropped out as the years progressed,” he said.
Today, Siguqa’s flagship wine is named after his mother Nomaroma, who is in her early 70s.
“With education it is possible for a child of a farm labourer to be a wine farm owner,” he said, adding that though her mother had wanted him to be a teacher, she is proud of her achievements.
“My sister Buyiswa Siguqa is a teacher,” he said, “so she did manage to have a teacher in the family.”
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