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When the call first came from Garden Route municipal and disaster management officials for assistance after the collapse of a multistorey building under construction in George, Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman “did not take it so seriously”.

Nevertheless, the organisation’s Knysna representative, Mario Ferreira, was on the scene within two hours.“

He just said it’s bad and we need support, so we dispatched teams — a support team, not search and rescue teams, not medical teams, just ordinary teams to support in terms of finding the people, helping the victims,” Sooliman said.

“We didn’t know at that stage how chaotic it was.

"A little later in the day I asked him to send me some pictures.

“ In my mind, I could not picture it but when he sent me the pictures, I said: ‘Oh my God, this is a total disaster’.”

In Behind The Herald Headlines with Daron Mann this week, Sooliman describes how the organisation — renowned for its support during similar disasters such as earthquakes — immediately rallied its teams to assist.

With less than three weeks to go before South Africans head to the polls for a fiercely contested general election, have you made up your mind about who you will be voting for?

In Behind the Herald Headlines with Daron Mann, we speak to party leaders about their offerings.

This week, we catch up with ANC Provincial Head of Communications, Gift Nqondi, who is confident that the "ANC will regain it's strength and receive more than 50% in this coming national elections"

With three weeks to go before South Africans head to the polls for a fiercely contested general election, have you made up your mind about who you will be voting for?

In Behind the Herald Headlines with Daron Mann, we speak to party leaders about their offerings.

This week, we catch up with UDM leader Bantu Holomisa, who says “coalitions are here to stay in SA and it’s a good thing”.

“All we need to do is allow those who will be seated around the table to negotiate after the elections and try to integrate the manifestos of various political parties so that their constituencies can feel they are represented at the main table.”

With four weeks to go before South Africans head to the polls for a fiercely contested general election, have you made up your mind about who you will be voting for?

In Behind the Herald Headlines with Daron Mann, we speak to party leaders about their offerings.

This week, we catch up with Build One SA (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane, who is encouraging South Africans — desperate for change — to vote because “the votes are going to matter when we build a grand coalition of the opposition to put in a new government”.

With four weeks to go before South Africans head to the polls for a fiercely contested general election, have you made up your mind about who you will be voting for?

In Behind the Herald Headlines with Daron Mann, we speak to party leaders about their offerings.

This week, we catch up with RISE Mzansi national leader Songezo Zibi, who says the party is “on course to be one of the top five political parties in SA”.

With five weeks to go before South Africans head to the polls for a fiercely contested general election, have you made up your mind about who you will be voting for?

In Behind the Herald Headlines with Daron Mann, we speak to party leaders about their offering.

This week, we catch up with DA Eastern Cape leader Andrew Whitfield, who says the party will spend the next few days driving home “our message of hope and our rescue plan to put SA back on a pathway to prosperity”.