01 May Doone Village – Pinetown
It would seem that benefactors are in short supply these days, or donors are keeping a lower profile. Take Doone Village, the farm, Richmond, donated by Aaron and Cissy Beare, and opened in 1974. This was a joint effort by the Beare family and with support from Rotarians.
Among the current elite, other than a few mega-rich, there is a paucity of large philanthropic initiatives. (With apologies to the unsung heroes). many of todays political elite should have paid donations tax on much of their accumulated wealth.
Perhaps the problem is the greed of SARS, in making donations tax so high. Lower donations tax would help to spread wealth and in the process lead to a bigger tax take. Lower taxes have been proven to stimulate growth and up tax revenues.
Meantime, we have to salute the likes of families like the Beares’, for their Ubuntu.
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