Durban - A GROUP of eThekwini metro police officers have dug into their pockets to help a 14-year-old boy from Inanda.
The officers were among people who responded to the call of a boy begging at robots to assist his family.
Sakhile Ndebele, 14, was begging at robots in the city when he was chased away by metro police.
He later landed on the steps of the city hall where he was videoed speaking about his family’s plight.
In the video, an exhausted Sakhile says he was begging because he was trying to put together money to buy food for his family.
For Christmas, Sakhile bought cooking oil, rice, maize meal, meat, carrots, cabbage, beetroot and mayonnaise with the money he had begged.
In the video he asks people to assist those begging on the streets. “It is difficult at the robots,” he says.
Sakhile’s mother was ill in hospital at the time the video was taken, and died earlier this month.
Sakhile’s brother, Mfaniseni Ndebele, 22, said seven of his 10 siblings attended school and had received school uniforms and groceries from donors after Sakhile’s video circulated.
“We’re very grateful, especially for the video. It helped a lot, especially after our mother died. Many people have come to our aid,” he said.
Mfaniseni said one donor offered to take Sakhile to a boarding school and he had asked if they could
also take another child, which they had done.
He said he knew that Sakhile was begging to help out at home, and it was not the first time his brother had taken to the streets.
The children in the Ndebele household range in age from 6 months to 22 years.
“It’s a child-headed household, but our grandmother said she would now look after the children,” said Ndebele.
“Although we have received a lot of assistance, we still need a lot of help,” he said.