“Suspicious” loiterer turns out to be injured man, Pinetown neighbourhood watch rushes to assist

THE actions of a neighbourhood watch has proven that community awareness is not just about chasing suspects, but also about compassion.

An injured man found himself on the radar of an alert community crime-fighting group, after a concerned resident noticed him “acting suspiciously”.

However, upon further investigation it was quickly determined that he was actually an individual in dire need of assistance, and the Pinetown community then quickly rallied around him.

Andreas Mathios, spokesman for Blue Security and commander of the Pro Act Neighbourhood Watch (based in New Germany, Pinetown), shared the story with the Highway Mail on Thursday afternoon.

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“An alert neighbour notified our neighbourhood watch of a suspicious loiterer undressing near her house.  Upon further investigation, we found Xolani, a homeless man, limping out of the bush using a floor wizard handle as a crutch,” said Mathios.

“He was limping badly and he said he was from the Eastern Cape and was living in the bush,” he added.

The passionate community activist said the man told him he had twisted his ankle running away from criminals who tried to mug him, and he was in a lot of pain.

“And this is where our amazing NHW Network suddenly went from reactive to proactive,” said Mathios.

“A call was sent out on the ProAct NHW network for pain medication, and after few responses I was collecting Gen-Payne, anti-inflammatory pills, a new roll of bandage and even a set of crutches from my network of neighbours, who without hesitation jumped in to help Xolani,” said Mathios who had shared the story on his Facebook page.

Ros Loubser, was one of the members of the neighbourhood watch who came to Xolani’s assistance.

“It is just something that makes my heart beat, to be able to help people in need. And the greatest reward I get in life, actually, is to be able to give to people who’ve got no way of paying you back at all,” she said.

Mathios said he shared the story hoping that it would inspire more people to become involved in community networks such as this one.

He explained that the Pro Act Neighbourhood is part of a greater network of fellow community activists who share information and assistance to keep the community and its people safe.

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