The family of an 11-year-old learner who walked from his primary school in Simon’s Town to his home in Khayelitsha, has been blessed with gifts in the form of school shoes and free bus rides.
Last Monday, Grade 6 learner Lifalethu Mbasana, walked a distance of approximately 35km after he was not allowed to board a Golden Arrow Bus Service (GABS) bus due to a lost ticket.
The boy arrived in front of the family’s gate at around 9.50pm with a group of law enforcement officers who had spotted him in Harare, just a few minutes away from his home.
The child’s mother, Xolelwa Siba Mbasana expressed her gratitude to everyone who played a part in his safe return.
“The way people responded in this situation, I almost feel like they were the parents. It felt like they were responsible for my son. Everybody was so hurt, everybody was so scared, and everybody’s so thankful.”
Xolelwa said she has received messages from individuals in Zambia, Lesotho, and other far away places.
“They are sending words of encouragement. Some of them will say, please give your son a hug from me all the way from Lesotho. And the other one was saying, I have a grandson who's the same age and I can’t imagine him doing what your son did. So they want him to know that he was brave, they want him to know that he was smart, even though there are people who are saying otherwise.”
She also expressed gratitude to her boss, Tariq Jo Fensham, for his assistance.
The school’s teachers assisted in searching for the boy, driving along routes he was believed to have taken.
A stranger in Muizenberg has even offered the family a weekend at her guest house to assist with recovering from the ordeal.
Father Sipho Mbasana said the family still experienced post-traumatic stress: “Even looking at the child, he has lost some body weight. When he’s around us as the parents, he is always trying to act strong but deep down inside we know that he is not okay.”
On Sunday, Lifalethu and his two siblings were given new school shoes and hygiene products donated by Kasi Angels Foundation.
Founder and CEO Gerald Nomlala said he missed two years of schooling due to a lack of school shoes and was now giving back to those in need. He assured Lifalethu that he would provide school shoes until the learner reaches Grade 12. The handover was a milestone occasion as it reached 64 000 shoes distributed.
GABS public relations manager, Bronwen Dyke-Beyer, said Lifalethu will be given free trips for the duration of the term and that the family was also offered counselling.
Dyke-Beyer previously said the driver was suspended and that GABS was involved in the search for the learner. She said company policy is to assist uniformed scholars in situations where they have lost their Gold Cards.