Dr Imtiaz Sooliman has been heralded as a champion of the community by NGO the Giving Hope Foundation.
The Gift of the Givers founder received the Peace Hero award for his latest efforts to come to the rescue of communities following the April and May floods in KwaZulu-Natal.
The Giving Hope Foundation has also auctioned off two prints by award-winning artist Nanda Soobben to raise funds for community upliftment projects.
Receiving his award, Sooliman encouraged South Africans not to lose hope.
“All race groups I have spoken to, everybody wants a peaceful developed SA. We have to stop complaining that the government is corrupt, and the government is taking rates, and the government is taking VAT and the fuel price is gone high and electricity is not working. Yes, there are problems in the country; it’s a fact, but not everybody in government is corrupt. There are a lot of good people in government who want to do a lot of good things. You can get corrupt people in religious societies also; you get corrupt people in the corporate world and in the medical society.”
Relief efforts in KZN
The Gift of the Givers has played a crucial role towards providing aid relief for families and victims affected by the floods.
Last month, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) collaborated with the humanitarian organisation and handed over 300 food parcels and blankets to flood affected families.
Sooliman speaks about the mobilisation of aid to affected communities in the province:
![[FILE IMAGE] A truck transporting water tanks.](https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SABC-News-Water-tanks-Dr-JS-Moroka-Local-Municipality-120x86.png)
