adminBongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
ZIMBABWEAN queen of dance, Sandra Ndebele yesterday left for South Africa where she will meet the “Princess of Africa” Yvonne Chaka Chaka who will mentor her on her new role as a goodwill ambassador for Mpilo Central Hospital.
In August this year, Ndebele was appointed goodwill ambassador for Mpilo Central Hospital and pledged to source funds for the hospital.
An institution can appoint prominent personalities from the worlds of art, music, film, sport and literature to highlight key issues and to draw attention to its activities.
As part of the package, she is supposed to meet Chaka Chaka who has been Unicef Special Ambassador on Malaria in Eastern and Southern Africa for nine years in order for her to get pointers on how to execute her mandate.
In an interview before she left, Ndebele said she will take the opportunity to learn from Chaka Chaka who is now well versed in health issues.
“I want to raise money for Mpilo hospital so being in South Africa is a great opportunity for me to be mentored by someone who has been doing this for a long time,” she said.
Ndebele said she expected to be back home on Sunday next week.
“I will know more about my trip when I get there and meet her. I hear we are supposed to meet some people at a dinner on Friday,” she said.
Ndebele said her trip would be strictly for the purposes of mentorship.
Unicef appointed Chaka Chaka Special Ambassador on Malaria in Eastern and Southern Africa in April 2005.
Since her appointment, Yvonne has been a tireless campaigner for children, ensuring that her voice, unique talents and well-known personality are used to draw global attention to the terrible impact of malaria on Africa’s children.
Chaka Chaka has a long musical career spanning decades.
She started singing at 19 in 1985 when Phil Hollis of Dephon Records discovered her in Johannesburg. Shortly after, her debut album I’m in Love With a DJ, sold 35,000 copies, and the title track became an instant hit.
Songs like I’m Burning Up, I Cry for Freedom, Sangoma,Motherland and the ever-popular, Umqombothi saw Chaka Chaka joining the list stars of South African mbaqanga music.
Besides her work with Unicef, she is also an ambassador for the Roll-Back Malaria campaign. She has also served as ambassador for the University of South Africa (Unisa), City of Johannesburg Tourism, and Nelson Mandela’s 46664 campaign.
In 2001, Yvonne was named among the Top 100 Heroes of South Africa by the Star Newspaper.
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