ICYMI: Douglasdale residents come to the rescue
DOUGLASDALE – Generous residents lent a helping hand to Albert Manyadze after he was stabbed and robbed on his way home from work
A Douglasdale resident was pleasantly surprised at the amount of generosity displayed by the Fourways community after a piece worker was robbed of his belongings earlier in June.
Penny Horwitz and Albert Manyadze have known each other for a year and a half. Manyadze did piece jobs at Horwitz’s home, including painting and garden work. Horwitz described Manyadze as a ‘born-again Christian who is an amazing, hard-working and wonderful person’.
In the second week of June, Manyadze was making his way home to Diepsloot on his bike when he was robbed and stabbed by three men on the street. Items that were stolen included his bike, an angle-grinder, his cell phones, passport and bank cards.
He was able to get a friend to call the ambulance for him and have his wounds treated.Horwitz said, “He was starting to pave the driveway at my house that day. Once he arrived home, he called me on someone else’s phone since he had memorised my number and told me what happened.”
A resident posted about Manyadze’s ordeal on a community Facebook page and the post gained much traction from people wanting to aid in whatever way they could.A bike and helmet donated by Barbara Came was among the many items donated. Others donations included R1 000 worth of groceries courtesy of Fourways Can, toys for his two children, an extension cord, a new angle grinder, second-hand cycling shirts and two second-hand cell phones. Cycle Lab is also to provide a free bike service.
“Around R10 000 was also raised by people, and what was wonderful and amazing was that donations also came in from expats,” said Horwitz.
Manyadze, who was using a friend’s spare bicycle to get around since his ordeal, expressed immense gratitude to those who donated items to him and his family of four. “I am so happy with these items, and to receive more than what I had is wonderful,” he said.”Prayers had been answered with an abundance of supplies,” added Munyadze.
“People need to give where they can. And it is amazing to see what people can do,” Horwitz concluded.
