Thirty-five years ago, a plane carrying Samora Machel, who was the president of neighbouring Mozambique, was shot down by apartheid agents in Mbuzini, Mpumalanga. Few people know that Machel, whose widow Graca got married to former president Nelson Mandela, spent a couple of months in Alexandra, Johannesburg.
The township is named after farmer HB Papenfus’s wife, Alexandra and was established in 1912.
There is a heritage plaque outside PLD Hall, the first hall in Alex, informing readers that Machel once stayed in one of the hall’s backrooms in the 1960s.
Commonly known as Gomora, Alexandra is the home to many. Madiba also stayed in Alex at No. 46, 7th Avenue around 1940 after he left his home in Eastern Cape. He stayed briefly with Revered J Mabutho at Anglican Church Rectory before moving into a room in the yard of Mr Xhoma next door.
Though Alex is one of the most disadvantaged urban areas in the country, that hasn’t stopped the township from producing well-known names like Hugh Masekela, Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza and philanthropist Linda Twala.
Others call him a lion, some calls him the “father of the nation” but he calls himself a community member who serves people of Alexandra. With his long grey hair, when neatly combed makes Twala resembles a lion. Twala has devoted his life to helping those who are needy by providing them with food, blankets and some with clothes. He is a guardian angel to the Gomora community.
He started Phuthaditjaba Centre in Alex around 1960s with his mother, Annie, with the aim to feed and care for the sick, elderly and youth in his community for over 40 years now.
In partnership with Afrika Tikkun, the centre today has shown a great reception from the community members offering a wide variety of other activities such as skills and youth development, and a crèche.
Twala was awarded with a national recognition for his tireless work in the community: a 2010 Inyathelo Award for Lifetime Philanthropy for his outstanding efforts in feeding people of Alex and a certificate from the military service during the hard lockdown for his effort an dedication to ease the violence that was caused by the soldiers.
“My mother was a part-time domestic worker and, on her days off and weekends, she would look after the elderly in the area. She would help them and give them food. She always told us: ‘If someone is hungry, you must feed them,’” Twala recalls.
Written by Gontse ‘GeE’ Hlophe
19/10/2021