When Good Intentions Go Awry: Lasizwe Shares the Challenges of 'R10 Goes a Long Way'

Lasizwe, the talented content creator, recently had a chat with DJ Sbu on "The Hustlers Corner." They covered various topics, including Lasizwe's entry into the industry, the challenging moments, and his philanthropic work.

 

"I didn't want to step into the industry as Khanyi (Mbau’s) brother. I really tried to pave something that one day I could say I did it on my own," he shared.

 

Talking about the "R10 goes a long way" campaign, Lasizwe said, "It was during the ‘Fees Must Fall’ time, I was frustrated seeing students going online and voicing out their concerns and not being heard."

 

While initially planning to help a couple of students, things took an unexpected turn during a live session. "When we finished off at 3 am, we had R80 000 or R90 000 that we had contributed. When we woke up we were trending and everyone was like, ‘What can we do?’ We eventually raised 2 million in seven days."

 

Despite the success, the initiative faced challenges. "People started showing their insecurities on the internet. The trolling, the insecurities of what we face with the government, people were being entitled."

 

Lasizwe opened up about the difficult time: "It was a dark phase in my life; the trolling just became worse. At some point, I just wanted to end this thing. I didn’t want to help people ever again."

 

But, amidst the difficulties, he found a positive outcome. "It was such a dark time but also a blessing in disguise. I was then exposed to the art of therapy, exposed to the art of really understanding who you are and being one with yourself," he reflected.

 

The conversation also touched on a personal tragedy — witnessing his mother's last moments. "My mom had a heart attack in December (2016) in a barbershop. I was cutting my hair for my matric dance. She sat down on the couch, I was cutting my hair and looking back on the mirror, and she collapsed. I saw her take her last breath," he shared.