Staff reporter Just days after facing a legal defeat in the High Court, businessman and philanthropist Collen Mashawana marked his birthday not with fanfare or spectacle, but by giving back to the people who often receive the least attention — the elderly.
On 2 September, the Collen Mashawana Foundation celebrated Mashawana’s birthday with a heartfelt outreach at Emathonsini Old Age Home in Rockville, Soweto.
The gesture was a reaffirmation of the Foundation’s mission to restore dignity to some of South Africa’s most vulnerable citizens. The timing of this event is striking. Just days earlier, Dr. Mashawana found himself at the centre of national headlines following a legal attempt to interdict investigative journalist Pieter Louis Myburgh and Daily Maverick.
The court struck the matter off the roll, dismissing the application and ordering Mashawana to cover the legal costs. While the court case stirred widespread media debate, Mashawana has now chosen to place public focus elsewhere — on acts of service and legacy.
During the event, Mashawana addressed the controversy for the first time publicly — not in a press conference, but through a powerful and personal message during his visit to Emathonsini.“Those who do not know me think I just started helping the needy today,” he said. “They wrote stories about me as though I just arrived on the scene.
''I have been in business for 29 years. We have made it a success through blood, sweat, and hard work.” Mashawana rejected claims that his wealth came from political ties or state influence. “I didn’t make my wealth from government,” he said.
“I read these things and I laugh. To them, the colour of my skin must mean I am incompetent and corrupt. But no, the engine of my success is hard work.”
He added that his values have remained rooted in humanity and upliftment. “The values of love and care for the less fortunate live with me even today.”
The day’s outreach took place at Emathonsini Old Age Home, a humble but vital care facility founded in 2011 by Ms Innocentia Ntombifuthi Mandlazi.
Originally started in her own home, the facility has grown into a registered nonprofit organisation caring for 21 elderly residents. The home operates under financial pressure and relies heavily on limited government grants that rarely stretch far enough to cover essential supplies like adult diapers, surgical gloves, and wages for adequate staff.
Despite these difficulties, Ms Mandlazi has remained committed to her mission, even using salvaged materials and small donations from hardware stores to expand the home brick by brick.
“This home was born out of necessity and love,” she said during the visit.
“And the support we are receiving today helps keep our residents warm, safe, and remembered.”
The Foundation is now exploring plans to relocate the home to a more spacious facility in Chiawelo. The proposed site would allow for greater physical activity, improved privacy, and access to essential services, including SASSA offices and a 24-hour clinic.
The expansion could also include a small garden to allow residents to participate in planting and grow fresh food.“This is not a one-day visit or a photo opportunity,” said a spokesperson for the Foundation.
“We are walking with Emathonsini for the long haul.” Since its inception in 2012, the Collen Mashawana Foundation has been active in multiple provinces, having built over 300 houses for the needy in partnership with government and private stakeholders.
It has also distributed food parcels and intervened in various disaster relief efforts.The outreach comes in the wake of a failed court application filed by Mashawana against Daily Maverick and Myburgh.
The publication had published stories linking the Foundation to alleged financial support for a luxury home tied to a suspended public official.
One of the articles included what Daily Maverick later admitted was an error — stating Mashawana had admitted to the payments being loans.
Still, Mashawana pursued urgent legal relief, calling the reports defamatory and damaging. The court, however, struck the matter off the roll citing lack of urgency.
Despite the controversy, Mashawana has chosen to let his actions speak louder than accusations. His presence at Emathonsini was not only about giving back, it was about reclaiming the narrative.
In a climate where successful black businesspeople are often viewed with suspicion, Mashawana is positioning his legacy firmly in the space of community impact
.“If they choose to see corruption, let them,” he said quietly as he greeted an elderly woman with a blanket and a smile. “We will be here, doing the work.