By Nkhensani Mthombeni
- Dr Ephraim Kgoete from Sekhukhune sells kotas on weekends and at events to fundraise for patients who cannot afford surgery, creating jobs for three part-time helpers in the process.
- Thomas Mogale, 54, had cysts on his face removed for mahala by Dr Kgoete after spending over two decades on a waiting list he could not afford to move up.
Thomas Mogale spent over 20 years being laughed at. People called him the ugly man. He had cysts on his face and no money to remove them. He waited. And waited. And nothing came.
Then Dr Ephraim Kgoete heard his story.
Kgoete removed the cysts for mahala. Just like that, two decades of waiting were over.
“Dr Kgoete is a hero,” said Mogale, 54, from Kgapane. “I pray that he lives more years in order to help others.”
This is what drives the doctor to his street corner every weekend. Kgoete is from Sekhukhune and trained as a medical doctor, but on weekends and in his spare time he ditches the scrubs for an apron and sells kotas. He started in 2018 to raise money for patients who cannot afford surgery. He now employs three part-time helpers who sell alongside him at streets and events.
He also leads an annual fundraising long walk, runs free surgical drives, health campaigns and school visits. He wants to be known as Doctor ya batho. The people’s doctor.
The streets are where he feels most alive.
“There are too many barriers between healthcare and the people who need it, especially the disadvantaged,” Kgoete said.
“I try to break those walls down and go into the community to serve with love, not just flexing with stethoscopes around our necks.”
He also has a message for every young professional watching from the sidelines.
“In this economy, a salary alone is not always enough,” he said.
“Having another stream of income helps you save, invest and support your family better.”
Pictured above: Dr Ephraim Kgoete selling kotas on the streets of Limpopo.
Image source: Supplied
