Submitted by:  Palesa Inno Molangoanyane

In May 2017 I travelled to Pietermaritzburg on an Intercape bus from Zeerust in the North West.  The bus arrived in Pietermaritzburg at 1:00 am.   I got a cab to take me to the hotel I had booked, which looked great on their website.  The driver was a Zulu guy named Sandile.  He kept asking me whether I was sure that I wanted to go to such a place.

When we arrived at the hotel, it was not in good condition and I felt really deflated.  He drove me around to some good guest houses in the area, but they were all fully booked.  I silently cried because I knew no one in Pietermaritzburg and I had an exam at 12:00 pm the next day.

Sandile told me he was knocking off at 6:00 am, but that I could sit in his personal car in the meantime as he had to get back to work.  I was skeptical but eventually agreed.  At 6:00 am he came back to his vehicle and said I could go with him to his house in the township as he stayed alone.  He felt that I needed to rest before my exam.

In my mind, I was thinking about all the crimes against women in this country, but I said a silent prayer and took him up on his offer.  I managed to get a little sleep in his bedroom while he slept on the kitchen floor, on top of some blankets.

There are good people in this country who help strangers without expecting anything in return.

The next morning, I got ready for my exam in his home.  I tried to give him the amount of money that I would have paid at a guest house, but he refused.

I went for my exam and passed.  I then went back to his workplace to share my good news with him.  He was so happy for me; it was as if he had known me for ages.  We even went out for lunch to celebrate, which I insisted on paying for because I felt bad that he had refused to take my money.

To this day, I am amazed by how much hospitality Sandile gave me.  When I told my friends and family what had happened, they were shocked that I would just leave with an unknown man like that, but I told them that while I had thought about all the possibilities, somehow my gut feeling told me that I should just take that leap of faith and trust this kind stranger.

That is why I am staying – because there are good people in this country who help strangers without expecting anything in return.