The petrol attendant whose good deeds rewarded him with over R300 000 in donations from strangers said he did what he did because it was the right thing to do.
Nkosikho Mbele, 28, from Makhaza in Khayelitsha became an overnight hero after he took R100 out of his own pocket to fuel 21-year-old motorist Monet van Deventer’s car after she had forgotten her bank card at home last week.
Without expecting much, Mbele had asked Van Deventer to return the money next time when she was back in the area. That was because he was worried that Van Deventer might be stranded on the notorious stretch of the N2 highway if she ran out of petrol.
Following Mbele’s act of kindness, Van Deventer posted what had happened on social media and created a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to help him and his family. Over R300 000 was raised.
Speaking to Bongani Bingwa on Radio 702 on Monday morning, Mbele, said when he gave Van Deventer the R100, it was not about trusting that she would return it.
"It was not about the trust. It is something that touched my heart because I saw the gauge of her tank. It was on low.
"I had no idea if she was going to come or not, I just did what was right," he said.
Overwhelmed by the donation, Mbele - who stays with his mother, brother and two children - said he did not know yet what he was going to do with the money.
"I don't know yet, I will leave it in God’s hands," he said.
The Star