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The Thanda Foundation was established to focus attention on the socio-economic and developmental needs of the three neighbouring Tribal Authority Communities affected by Thanda. This foundation acts as a conduit for the raising of funds for such programmes and projects as well as for conservation research initiatives.
The immediate beneficiaries of the foundation include the Ngwenya Tribal Authority under the late Chief Myeni, the Mandlakazi Tribal Authority under Chief Zulu and the Mdletshe Tribal Authority under Chief Mdletshe. Through the Thanda Foundation, Thanda is able to fundraise in conjunction with various institutions including government organisations, as well as from the local and international private sector in order to contribute resources to assist its neighbours with upliftment projects and programmes.
A Community Liaison Committee called the Thanda Community Forum has also been established that has representation from all three communities. This enables Thanda to use the committee as a conduit for effective communication on matters that concern the reserve and local rural communities. This relates mainly to procurement issues and employment as well as security issues and matters of mutual interest.
The focus of the foundation is also on seeking worthwhile community projects that could be funded and that will have a positive and meaningful impact on the local area. Numerous projects have already been funded and several are in the process of being rolled out.
Over the past three years, numerous projects within the community have been funded. These projects range from catering facilities at the Tribal Authority, children’s creche equipment, computer installations at schools, sponsorships of a school choir to tour Sweden, sponsorship of a group of Zulu dancers to tour Sweden as well as the sponsorship of a youth soccer team to compete at the World Youth Soccer Games in Gothenburg in Sweden.
In January 2006 the Foundation, in partnership with Thanda Private Game Reserve, launched a conservation research programme. The programme involves the monitoring of elephant, cheetah, lion, leopard and wild dog. The research programme involves the University of Natal and the Wildlands Conservation Trust as well as other conservation and wildlife agencies in research projects on both Thanda and the neighbouring community game reserve area. Thanda’s partnership with neighbouring communities has been strengthened by the raising of funds that seek to involve such communities in education programmes centred on biodiversity and community based natural resource management.
The Thanda Foundation also sponsored national projects such as the Nelson Mandela Statue erected at the Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton and the Hector Pieterson Memorial Statue erected at the Maponya Mall in Soweto. Both projects were undertaken in partnership with local black leaders as a joint token of goodwill between Sweden and South Africa.
