Bicycles add value to Diepsloot Safe-Hub

Forty bicycles were handed over to staff at the Diepsloot Safe-Hub on 26 June by Qhubeka, Tsogo Sun (https://www.tsogosun.com) and the City of Johannesburg. The bicycles will enable the team members to travel further, quicker, and at no cost, in their efforts to build the Safe-Hub programme in the area.

Vusi Dlamini, Group Human Resources Director for Tsogo Sun, a primary sponsor of the Diepsloot Safe-Hub for over two years through Montecasino (https://www.tsogosun.com/montecasino) and of the Qhubeka Bicycles, says, “We know that bicycles can transform lives in low-income communities where options are walking, often in unsafe areas, or using taxis that cost money. The Diepsloot Safe-Hub delivers an excellent programme to more than 700 children from grades R to 12 and these bikes will provide the staff that live in the area with easier access to the Safe-Hub and to the community to continue building this valuable programme.”

Tsogo Sun contributed 20 Qhubeka Bicycles to the AMANDLA EduFootball Safe-Hub in Diepsloot, which was matched by the City of Johannesburg, bringing the total to 40 bicycles.   

An additional 10 bicycles have also been sponsored for the AMANDLA EduFootball Safe-Hub in Gugulethu in Cape Town, which has been matched by the City of Cape Town, bringing the total to 20 bicycles.  The total contribution made by Tsogo Sun is R100 000.

The Diepsloot Safe-Hub team is overjoyed at the new opportunities open to them through the donation of bicycles.  Says Nomawethu Sokoyi, Head of Facility at the Diepsloot Safe-Hub, “On behalf of the Safe-Hub team, thank you very much. The bicycles will be very beneficial to our coaches and senior participants. Some will be allocated to our PlayMakers who live far from the Safe-Hub, saving them time and transport costs; some will be used by the Safe-Hub team members during community walkabouts, participant recruitment, and in external awareness initiatives; and some will be made available in the programme as an additional participants’ experience.”

The Safe-Hub PlayMakers are the frontline coaching staff who complete a one-year Sports Administration learnership and leadership programme at the Safe-Hub and are responsible for delivering the after-school programming to the various age groups.

Qhubeka is a charity that moves people forward with bicycles. The name is an Nguni word that means “to move forward” or “to progress”. People earn bicycles through Qhubeka’s programmes, helping to improve their access to clinics, schools and jobs. Each bicycle is delivered with an accessory bag containing a helmet, utility tool, cable lock and pump, all of which meet international standards. “With a bicycle, a person can travel faster and further, and carry more,” says Tsatsi Phaweni, Executive Director of Qhubeka. “We hope these bicycles will help the team that runs Safe-Hub to continue to make a difference in the community. We truly believe that bicycles change lives and we look forward to hearing stories of how the Safe-Hub bicycles are being put to good use.”

Since it was established in 2005, Qhubeka has placed over 82 000 bikes in communities in South Africa, in partnership with corporates, NGOs, and other organisations.

The AMANDLA EduFootball Diepsloot Safe-Hub was established in February 2016 and is located at Muzomuhle Primary School, providing more than 700 local youngsters with regular access to a safe environment for facilitated sports, arts, life skills lessons, and personal development.

Dlamini adds that Tsogo Sun’s partnership with Qhubeka also extends into the sports arena. “Tsogo Sun is the official hotel partner to Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka, Africa’s first World Tour cycling team, during their stays in South Africa, and when the team has its annual training camp in the Western Cape, Southern Sun The Cullinan is used as their base hotel. In addition, The Cullinan’s Executive Chef, Lindsay Venn, accompanied the team to the Tour de France in 2017 as their chef. With our strong relationships with both Qhubeka and AMANDLA EduFootball, it was a logical move for Tsogo Sun to support the Qhubeka Charity by donating bicycles to help change lives and move people forward. We wish the Safe-Hub every success in building the programme with their new bikes, and Qhubeka, in their efforts to contribute to better lives in disadvantaged communities.”

Tsogo Sun has a portfolio of over 100 hotels and 13 casino and entertainment destinations throughout South Africa, Africa and the Seychelles. For more details, visit https://www.tsogosun.com, follow on Twitter @TsogoSun or like on Facebook /TsogoSun.