Lutfo distributes over 400 food hampers to elderly

The minister dismissed possibilities that his charity work could be construed as campaigning, or in violation of the proposed Elections Expense Bill of 2013.

The Bill states that people who use food to campaign for votes face jail time.

General Elections will take place this year on a date which is yet to be announced.

"The event you saw was not a campaign. We haven’t started campaigning yet," he said.

After the hampers, attendees of the event were treated to a free meal made up of pap and beef.

Police were also part of function and they joined in the festivities.

Beside the meals, some attendees also won T-shirts (branded Litsemba LeNdzingeni)) as they danced to music played by a DJ.

The food hampers received by the 450 elderly people contained mealie meal, a packet of candles and cooking oil.

The attendees also had an opportunity to receive free treatment from nurses and doctors that had been invited to the event.

The minister also serves as Ndzingeni Member of Parliament.

Close to 500 people attended the event which the minister said was part of the constituency’s charity programme in which he visits the chieftaincies and makes donations to elderly people that are benefiting from the government elderly grants.

There are seven chiefdoms (imiphakatsi) under the Ndzingeni Inkhundla. However, yesterday’s event, according to the minister, was strictly reserved for the Ndzingeni Umphakatsi – though it was held at the Ndzingeni Constituency offices, not at the Ndzingeni Umphakatsi.

The event, which began at around 10am, saw the minister also presenting water pipes for a project to install water within the umphakatsi.

Interviewed after the event, the minister said the total cost of the water project was E450 000.

He said the presentation was solely done to call on the residents to now assist in the installation of water within Ndzingeni Umpha-katsi.

"As Inkhundla, we have a pro-gramme in which we visit the seven chiefdoms forming the Ndzingeni Inkhundla. The purpose of the visit is to help assist the senior citizens by donating food since they are pensioners and can no longer produce food for themselves," he said.

He continued: "You would recall that Ndzingeni has its own charity organisation. The Ndzingeni people do not benefit from the Disaster Task Fund.

"We normally forward requests to businesspeople who then donate to our organisation. It is from these donations that we then assist elderly and needy people,"

Recently, the Minister of Health Benedict Xaba hosted a tournament for Shiselweni schools.

The minister had in previous interviews declared that he would stand for election in his constituency.

Minister Xaba also dismissed allegations that his event would be construed as a campaign strategy.

- The same Lutfo who was said to have mounted a caravan way back does this now? You are a disgrace Sir!!!!!! You are a reason why people dismiss our elections with only a month before parliament is dismissed and you got so much to donate? Where were you the whole five years?
April 29, 2013, 2:23 pm, Sydney S Maseko in Durban 

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