UPDATE: Alex’s own ‘Mother Teresa’ comes to the rescue

The sad story of a frail 70-year-old woman, who was living on her family stand on 15th Avenue in a dingy room in deplorable conditions without food, has had a happy ending.

Nondlela Lillian Mogale, who could hardly talk when Alex News visited her with social worker Elizabeth Mokoena of the Kidz Clinic, has a new home. She is surrounded by many other elderly residents with more than enough to eat.

Alexandra’s own ‘Mother Teresa’, Marjorie Mangaye, came to her rescue and took her into her frail-care home, Itlhokomeleng Old Age Home, on the corner of 8th Avenue and Josias Madzunya Street.

Read: Help rescue this frail old woman from misery

“When Mokoena called me and asked me to intervene in the plight of MaMogale, I immediately dropped everything I was doing and rushed there with my nursing staff. What we found was despicable. I don’t know how a fellow human [could be left to] live under those conditions,” said the 86-year-old ‘Mother Teresa’, named thus due to her mercy work with the frail and elderly in the township for as long as anyone can remember.

Manganye, who still sprints like a spring chicken, said she took MaMogale into her care on the eve of the birthday of South Africa’s foremost humanitarian, the late former President Nelson Mandela, with the help of former councillor Chris Mabunda.

After an examination by a doctor, Itlhokomeleng nursing manager Priscilla Chauke said MaMogale was declared fit as a fiddle. “She’s not diabetic, no high blood pressure and no TB. She was declared clean of all those opportunistic lifestyle diseases,” Chauke said.

“I was severely depressed by the condition we found her in. She was covered in filthy and wet blankets from urine and was unable to speak properly, a sign of hunger as she was not properly fed. She can relax now she’s in good care and hands.”

This was confirmed by her Good Samaritan and social worker, Mokoena, who has visited her and also took selfies with her. “I found her in good spirits and now she talks freely and enjoys the company of other elderly residents in the home,” Mokoena said.

Mokoena said she was perturbed by the behaviour of some human beings. She said there was a man who used to transport her to collect her grant money, just around the corner and less than 600 metres away.

Read: Woman robbed of cash in Alex Mall, police investigate

The man would drive her there and take her back and charge her R200, and her so-called boyfriend never cared. “Honestly, can [someone] cash in so much on the plight of a poor and elderly woman? I think we ought to have developed some degree of morals at some point,” she added.

When Mogale’s plight was highlighted in Caxton Local Newspapers, she received some support from the community in Sandton, some of whom bought her groceries, pyjamas, toiletries and other items.

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