Caring Manor Gardens community helps following tragedy

RESIDENTS in Manor Gardens showed their heart for others last week, when they contributed funds and donations in kind to the family of the man who was electrocuted in the area last month.

The man was working on an electric power line in the area when he was electrocuted.

Nearby residents spotted his body hanging off the electric pole and contacted Janus Horn, chairman of Mayville SPS CPF Sector 1B in Manor Gardens.

Horn was first on scene and co-ordinated until the SAPS arrived.

“I went across after I got the call and called emergency services straight away. The ambulances were on scene straight away but couldn’t do any work because they didn’t know if the power feed was live or not. It took a total of three hours to recover the body,” he said.

Horn praised the Metro and eThekwini workers who worked with the SAPS Search and Rescue and Fire Department.

“I feel terrible as this was a man who was healthy and extremely fit, doing a day’s hard work and to have something like this happen was just devastating. He was most probably the breadwinner of his family and it still haunts me thinking it could happen to anyone. I thank emergency services and the community because people don’t actually know how they work hand in hand. I hope they will have an investigation into what happened as we would hate this to happen to anyone else in the future,” he said.

ALSO READ: Man electrocuted to death in Manor Gardens

Horn said from the reports on the community street groups, a concerned community member started a fundraiser for the man’s family, as the community was very affected by the man’s death.

The resident, who asked not to be named, as she didn’t want the focus to be on her, but on the community, said: “After hearing about this tragedy I had the idea immediately that this could be the breadwinner now missing from a family. I thought it would e a gesture from the community to set up a fund to get some sort of collection for the family. I knew nothing about them but someone in the community knew his employed and we managed to make contact with the family,” she said.

She said 18 families in Clair Avenue, Mundy Avenue and Manor Drive contributed, according to their means, some very generously.

“Someone from the Glenwood community found out about the collection and also contributed most generously. The family was very appreciative of the funds,” she said.

Horn said this community support was incredible. “It wasn’t a lot of money, but it was something to help cover some costs,” he said.

He said this showed that neighbourhood groups were not only involved in crime in the community, but could do something heartfelt to make a difference.

Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.

You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts

Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple