There's so much evil in the world these days, you can forgive mense for thinking the End of Days is near, or praying that “die Here kan gerus kom”.
On any given day, there’s no shortage of death, depravity and destruction in the Daily Voice.
Look, unfortunately this is the reality we live in. We don’t make this stuff up.
But this past month, the tide of evil seemed to shift just a bit, and we saw good news wash over our newspaper pages.
Ramadaan certainly had something to do with it.
The holy month has a way of bringing out people’s charitable and compassionate nature.
We saw it in the mass boekas held all over Cape Town, where residents young and old, rich and poor, Muslim and non-Muslim, sat down in the streets together to share a meal.
But it wasn’t just about the barakat and the lekker kos.
What people really appreciated about the iftars was that it was an opportunity for mense to bond with their neighbours. The human interaction was beautiful to see.
Let’s hope the spirit of Ramadaan continues long after the month.
Perhaps we should have Easter and Christmas lunches in the streets too?
How lekker wouldn’t that be.
SHARING & CARING: Mass boeka
But it wasn’t just the Muslims who opened their hearts to their fellow man.
One of the most heart-warming stories of the past few weeks was that of petrol attendant Nkosikho Mbele.
The 28-year-old who works at a garage in Somerset West became a national hero after he loaned R100 for petrol to customer Monet van Deventer, who had
forgotten her bank cards at home.
He told her he did not want her to get stuck on the N2 highway and feared for her safety.
So touched was Monet by Nkosikho’s act of kindness, that she started a crowdfunding
campaign for him.
Just days later and the young Khayelitsha man is now R500 000 richer.
The good Samaritan, who happens to be a man of God, told the Daily Voice: “I never expected this. All can say is thank God. I am so grateful Monet opened her heart and let God use her.
“It was the first time I saw her and I did this from my heart. I just thought I would let it be because the scripture says: ‘Blessed is the hand that gives because it will receive abundantly.’
“If she didn’t come back, I knew God would bless me again one day.”
What an incredible story. Like Monet said, it restored one’s hope in humanity.
For what it’s worth, the Daily Voice’s video interview with Nkosikho was shared over 12 000 times on social media.
So don’t let anyone ever tell you that good doesn’t sell, OK?