Hope restored to victims of Inanda taxi wars
Taxi violence victims who lost their livelihood during the Inanda taxi crisis were part of a handover session in which 11 families were awarded Toyota Quantum minibuses by Ithala SOC Limited. The handover event took place in Clairwood, South of Durban recently.
During the handover Inanda Taxi Association Manager, Mr Thomas Getsemane, remarked that Ithala was the only financial institution among several others he approached that was willing to assist the affected families.
Ithala SOC Limited, whose mandate is to serve ordinary South Africans and help them to manage their money and create wealth, is a 100% owned subsidiary of Ithala Development Finance Corporation.
“This was not easy as I personally approached many big financial institutions for assistance but none of them seemed to buy into the idea. However, I did not give up. I approached Ithala and shared my story. They saw my burning desire and willingness to help uplift others and didn’t hesitate to reach out to me,” said Getsemane.
Shane Moodley, Head of Segments at Ithala SOC Limited, reiterated Ithala’s commitment to ordinary South Africans. “Ithala is a responsible financial services institution that is ever willing to assist ordinary citizens, regardless of their income or financial background.”
“This is to ensure that they achieve financial wellness and better their lives. We will always strive to do whatever it takes to achieve this. This is one of the reasons we did not hesitate to assist Mr. Thomas Getsemane. We believe the initiative was motivated by an interest to help marginalised communities, which is a primary focus at Ithala.”
Phumzile Mhlongo, one of the beneficiaries at the event expressed her gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to be part of the selected families. “My husband, who was then a bread winner of the family was killed. Life became very sour, as making ends meet got tougher,” she said.
Ithala SOC Limited is committed to providing innovative banking products and services with a distribution network of 39 branches in KwaZulu-Natal offering a comprehensive portfolio of corporate and personal banking solutions.