Smiling faces, happy hearts and joy were present in metro hospitals yesterday when the mayor gave out Christmas presents to sick children.

Over 300 young patients received toys from the mayor in hospitals around the city. Grey, Bhisho, Cecilia Makiwane, Nkqubela and Frere hospital were filled with delight when executive mayor Zukisa Ncitha visited sick children and gave gifts to them.

Nomsa Buyeye, the sister in charge of the Children's Ward at Frere hospital, expressed the staff's sincere gratitude for the outreach programme for the smiles that it brought to young faces. "The children in this ward are mostly underprivileged," she said, "and receiving Christmas gifts means a lot to them."

Each child received a toy and lunch packs were prepared for them.

Buyeye said that the children hoped to be home by Christmas Day but "some have conditions that need special treatment and those will be at the hospital during the big day.

"We promise to take good care of them so that they don't feel as if they are not at their homes."

The annual Christmas Outreach Programme is aimed at bringing smiles and messages of hope and goodwill to the needy and vulnerable members of the community.

"This day is highly significant and special to me as it is a very special way of saying Merry Christmas to young kids. I will cherish it for the rest of my term," said Ncitha.

The distribution is part of the Mayoral Christmas Programme which kicked off last week with a Christmas lunch for the elderly at Dimbaza Home for the Aged.