PUBLIC transport operator Charles Robert Mukumba has extended a helping hand to hundreds of underprivileged pupils from Makoni South constituency and offered to pay their school fees and other necessities to ease pressure on their parents. BY KENNETH NYANGANI
Addressing guests at his late father Leonard Mukumba’s memorial service on Saturday, the InterAfrica Bus owner also pledged to repair some roads in the constituency as part of his company’s corporate social responsibility.
“We grew up in poverty and we know how it feels when you are in poverty. So we are assisting disadvantaged children by paying fees for some of them and we even assist with prizes at prize-giving ceremonies. We also assist with other resources like books and pens ,’’ he said.
“We want to thank all the people who attended the memorial service and tombstone unveiling. Our father Leonard Mukumba (Snr) was a people’s person and was loved in the community. He could even buy biscuits and share with children (and) that is what we learnt from him. It’s good to give and as a family that is what we are trying to do and achieve, we want to emulate our father.’’
Mukumba also bemoaned the ever-rising price of diesel, which he said was driving them out of business as bus operators could not keep increasing their fares.
“As transport operators, we are not happy with price of diesel because it has been increasing day and night and the bad thing is that we can’t even increase the fares because there is no money,’’ he said.
