Joseph Sibeko Trust

As a young child, Joseph Tsietsi Sibeko was viciously attacked, and his life changed forever.

On 19 June 1985, three-year-old Joseph was abducted by a stranger who bit off his nose, violently cut his face and throat, and cruelly gauged out both his eyes with a screwdriver. While the doctors were able to mend his trachea and later rebuild a nose with plastic surgery, he was permanently blinded.

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision” Helen Keller

Joseph’s birth-name “Tsietsi” means Troubles, a forecast of his possible future. In order to assist and safeguard Joseph against a troubled future, the Joseph Sibeko Trust (Registration number: IT 1316/85) was established by the then Managing Partner of Deneys Reitz Inc. Peter Simkins and his wife Caroline. The trust continues to be administered by directors of Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc. At inception, trust funds were raised from donations by members of the legal profession and the public.

This generosity enabled Joseph to attend a special needs school, be maintained throughout his childhood and provided him with the home he still resides in.

Unfortunately, these funds are almost depleted and, without urgent assistance, Joseph will become destitute.

Joseph is a happy, talented individual who is not discouraged by his disability. He immerses himself in music as a manner of expressing himself. He aspires to pursue a career in IT and he has tasked himself with improving his English so that he can communicate better and become a motivational speaker. 

Joseph has dreams, like all of us.

Despite his positivity, Joseph has to overcome daily challenges. With your support, we can assist Joseph to deal with those challenges. We implore all people moved by his story to make a real impact and reach out to Joseph by providing donations towards the Joseph Sibeko Trust.

To contribute to the fund, herewith the banking details:
Name of entity: The Joseph Sibeko Trust 
Name of bank: First National Bank
Branch: Weirda Valley
Branch code: 831
Account number: 62004006997
Type of account: Current Account

For more information, please email JSTrust@nortonrosefulbright.com