Saying goodbye to Caltex’s beloved Nelson
"He was a blessing and a hard worker and he was very proud of his work. He cared for everyone."
Another blazing light in the Brakpan community has forever been extinguished. Nelson Molea, a familiar face at the Anzac Caltex Garage, died of Covid-19 on July 11.
The 58-year-old customer service attendant was dearly loved by his family, colleagues and the Brakpan community.
To pay tribute to Molea, who had worked for Caltex since 1984, a memorial was held at the Anzac garage in his honour on Friday. Colleagues, customers and family members were in attendance.
“Nelson was extremely loyal and humble. He was loved by everyone. My children loved him, he always took them to school,” said Eleanor Dasrath, owner of Anzac Caltex.
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“As an employee, Nelson was irreplaceable. He was always on time and performed his duties diligently. He took particular pride in the way he wore his work uniform, always presentable and with polished safety boots.
“As a person, he was caring and always willing to assist others. Many of his customers can attest to how he would give them credit when they were unable to pay, and he was always willing to assist in any way he could.
“We always shared an open and honest relationship and he would always be the first to resolve conflict and not persist with unnecessary deliberation.”
Molea first started at SSJ Caltex in Voortrekker Road, where he worked until 1998. He then moved to Anzac Caltex in 1999. According to Dasrath, Molea will be sorely missed by management, staff and customers.
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“He would voluntarily reduce his lunch and tea breaks and allow his colleagues to have their full breaks,” she said.
“He enjoyed his job and we had to almost send him on compulsory leave as he would prefer to remain at work.
“Nelson was very popular with customers, young and old. Many of our customers will tell you how Nelson assisted their parents when they were still small children. He was well-known and highly respected by all who knew him.”
One such customer is Shanta Moloi, who explained the pair became good friends.
“We would always chat about life. We knew what was happening in each other’s lives. He was going blind due to a cataract he couldn’t have removed due to Covid. He always said he can’t stop working now because he needs to look after his family,” she said.
Moloi’s grandson, Ofentse Teffo, told the Herald how Molea bought him crisps whenever he stopped at the garage. Evah Makofane (50) knew Molea for 14 years and described him as polite.
“He was always concerned about where I was if I hadn’t been around for a while. With the loss of my husband, he always gave me a shoulder to cry on,” she said.
Christoper Nkosi called Molea a people’s person.
“He was a blessing and a hard worker and was very proud of his work. He cared for everyone,” he said.
Millicent Mahoa started working with Molea in 2006 and was happy to call him a friend.
“He taught me everything I know. He was always a gentleman and very humble,” she said.
Another colleague, Christene Hobana, stated Molea was like a father to her. The only breadwinner in the house, Molea was married to Anna (60) for 23 years and had five children and three grandchildren.
He hailed from Limpopo but stayed in Brakpan while working.
