WINNERS OF THE 7th ANNUAL VITA BASADI AWARDS

As part of the annual Women’s Month programme, the Honourable Speaker of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) honours women across Gauteng who have made meaningful contributions towards empowering others in society.

Each year in August, the GPL’s Multi-Party Women’s Caucus leads the Annual Vita Basadi Awards – an initiative that recognises excellence among women in various fields of work, as well as acts of service to those in need.

Through these awards, the Speaker celebrates women of courage who continue to make a positive impact in their communities.

Celebrate the winners of the Vita Basadi Awards…

7th Vita Basadi Awards Winners

Outstanding Youth Philanthropist

Winner

Mamello Makhanya 

Miss Mamello Makhanya is a 23-year-old Baccalaureus Curationis (BCUR) student from Meadowlands (Soweto) and founder of the ‘Born to Stand Out Foundation (BTSOF)’ – established in 2016. The Foundation focuses on women, children and the youth and its’ aim is to uplift the spirit and enthusiasm of standing out and to elevate extraordinariness. This is achieved through four principles namely: Motivation, Mental Health Awareness, Making A Difference and Meaningful Associations.

She also founded the Lerato NPO in September 2020 in honour of her late mother, which spreads Breast Cancer Awareness. 

She works collaboratively with other NPOs anizations and community-based organizations. 

Runner up

Nondumiso Thango

Nondumiso Thango founded Girleada in 2020, a Non-profit organization that works with young women to develop their leadership skills. The organization gives care for mental wellness, public speaking and personal development. She has used all her skills in training the Girleada team to ensure that the facilitators that work with the beneficiaries are well equipped with not only transferable skills but skills that are on par with youth leadership program standards. Her organization makes this, often expensive, training available and accessible to young women on a virtual platform across SA. The Girleada Lead(her)ship program saw just over 150 applications in the year 2020 and has successfully delivered over 50 graduates with high leadership potential. More than 70% adolescent girls and young women from all over the Gauteng region were impacted by this program. 

Youth Dignitary

Winner

Liana Gouveia

Liana Gouveia is the 12-year-old, co-founder of an organization called Sole2Sole, which collects shoes for those in need, giving the gift of warmth and dignity. Sole2Sole was founded in 2017 when Liana and her brother were moved to assist a child who was begging at traffic lights in their area. To date sole2sole has had the privilege of gifting over 90 000 pairs of shoes, over four years, to those in need. Liana and her brother visit many schools around Gauteng sharing their story and encouraging children to donate their “too small shoes”, to pass them on to various homes of shelter. Sole2Sole has numerous drop-offs across Gauteng’s shopping centres, schools, and various businesses.

Unsung Legend

Winner

Pippa Thembi Jarvis

Pippa has devoted her life to serving others from the tender age of 16. She established the life-saving organisation, TLC Children’s Home. Her belief that every child should be valued and given the best start to life is apparent in her personal life, her attentive leadership, and active role in advocating children’s rights in various local forums. Pippa is a dedicated, loving mother to 14 adopted children. She took in her first child at only 21 years old and has also fostered many others throughout her lifetime with deep loving care. For a period of time, her and her adopted children lived in a three-bedroomed park home. Most people would not raise so many children on their own, sleeping on the couch in a small home with practically no space. 

Community Builder of the Year

Fiona Makhaphela

Palesa Fiona Makhaphela is a young, vibrant writer, poet, youth activist, social entrepreneur, community builder, Archivist & Radio presenter at West side FM 98.9. 

She motivates the youth through mentorship activation programs and is passionate about community development. She has worked with West Rand youth development, where she facilitates entrepreneurship workshops every Wednesday. Fiona creates event on dialogues and creates online youth content partnering with the Gauteng provincial Archives based in Kagiso extension 6. She is currently working on registering her own NPO (Royal Vuka NPO) which will help the community of Kagiso with a digital hub assisting everyone with their daily online work, reference, and partnership with relevant stakeholder in the West Rand. 

Runner up

Robyn Le Roux 

Robyn Le Roux is the Founder & Director of Chayil foundation & the Fleur Empowerment Skills Centre since 2013. To date 150 unemployed young adults completed their skills training and acquired a skill to start their own business. She runs feeding schemes for children, the elderly, and families in distress. She provides food packs, medical assistance and care to the elderly and disabled. She runs a mentoring program for boys and girls in primary and high schools. She oversees the foundation education at the day care centre and provides lunch for the children in aftercare. She donates toiletries and dignity packs to learners in primary and high school, care packs for pregnant moms and new0born babies, and mental and emotional counselling to young adults and families in distress. 

The Guardian

Eunie Moloko (Posthumous)

Community Heroine

Winner

Nomsa Masoka

Nomsa Masoka is a qualified Speech Therapist and Audiologist. She has 20 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, hearing impairment, autism, Down syndrome, head injury, etc. In 2015 she started an NPO called MOCWA (Mothers of Children With Autism). Nomsa uses this platform to educate, support, network and empower Mothers of Children with Autism by organizing workshops, events, and autism awareness talks. MOCWA is now home to about 200 Mothers. This platform has assisted most mothers to accept their children’s condition as well as cope within the home environment. Nomsa has also assisted families to find appropriate school placement for their children. 

Runner up

Lydia Hlongwane

Lydia Hlongwane is a caring and virtuous young philanthropist, who stands up for what is right. She is an entrepreneur, I.C.A.R.E organization, life coach, leader, and motivational speaker. She runs various youth social campaigns, e.g., anti-rape, anti-xenophobia, anti-discrimination, children and women’s rights, HIV/Aids and cancer awareness, and many others. 

She currently works on projects such as ‘changing lives foundation” as a partner in raising R3 million for school uniform and airing a reality show which will address real issues and come up with solutions to certain social issues addressed in the show. Highlights of her top campaigns: giving girls in rural areas a once-in-a-lifetime treatment for their matric dance; sexual orientation talks at schools and distributing dignitary packs; and helping young people find organ donors and transplants for various rare illnesses.

Woman of Honour

Winner

Siyabulela Loyilane

Siya Loyilane provides exceptional support and service to football administration in all communities. She quickly discerns their individual needs and moves efficiently to provide key information, recommendations, or direction. She is an ambassador for football and is always assisting in the growth of youth football and also plays a huge role in advocating for women in football. She has been a driving force behind many young and upcoming footballers and administrators. She is part of a football academy called Shumba, which has produced a couple of players who play in the elite league in the country. She has won almost every hat in the game of football, from managing players, consulting for big teams.  

Runner up

Rumisha Motilal

Rumisha Motilal has selflessly contributed to the mining sector, giving of her time to coach speak and empower women in male dominated – without charge. She shares her insights on multiple podcasts to uplift women in leadership roles. Almost 50% of the ladies she coached were promoted in the mining sector. She was featured on Women in Mining South Africa as the keynote speaker. SA Mining featured Rumisha in August 2020, where women spoke about Gender Equity and what SA can do. She is the author or Women@work, “my journey into macho world”, which launched in March 2021, and shares free daily content on social media to help corporate women advance their careers. She is a beacon of light for mining where she believes in picking each other up. 

Outstanding Creative

Winner

Lydia Hlongwane

Lydia Hlongwane is a caring and virtuous young philanthropist, who stands up for what is right. She is an entrepreneur, I.C.A.R.E organization, life coach, leader and motivational speaker. She runs various youth social campaigns, e.g., anti-rape, anti-xenophobia, anti-discrimination, children and women’s rights, HIV/Aids and cancer awareness, and many others. 

She currently works on projects such as ‘changing lives foundation” as a partner in raising R3 million for school uniform and airing a reality show which will address real issues and come up with solutions to certain social issues addressed in the show. Highlights of her top campaigns: giving girls in rural areas a once-in-a-lifetime treatment for their matric dance; sexual orientation talks at schools and distributing dignitary packs; and helping young people find organ donors and transplants for various rare illnesses.

Runner up

Busisiwe Mahoko

Busisiwe Mahoko is a South African writer who devoted her time to write twenty-four (24) books in one year. She is an avid reader and a passionate inspirational writer with 34 book titles in her name in a period of 4 years in the writing space. She is currently starting an art school for underprivileged children. She is dedicated literacy, loves people, inspires, and motivates the youth, and uses her writing skills to uplift, motivate, and inspire women and men alike. She’s totally dependable and selfless. She helps youth with suicidal thoughts. She has and continues to uplift and support many in her community and whoever comes into contact with her. 

Speaker’s Special Award: Lifetime Achievement Award

Grace Marutlulle (Bio already done above)

Speaker’s Special Award: Woman of the Year Award

Rumisha Motilal (Bio already done above)

Speaker’s Special Award – Guardian

Constable Mbali Ntobeng

Speaker’s Special Award – Young Dignitary

Samukelisiwe Khumalo

Samukelisiwe Khumalo is a community leader from Dobsonville, Soweto. She has great interpersonal and leadership skills, which allow her to effectively lead and contribute to a dynamic and a multicultural team environment that adheres to process-oriented, configuration-managed development. She’s currently a coordinator of the Dobsonville PCO Young Women Empowerment Programme, whose focus is to empower young women and uplift local communities through education, skills development, employment opportunities, internships, entrepreneurship, mentorship and community outreach programmes.

Speaker’s Special Award – Unsung Legend

Joyce Masilo