Social media up in arms that Nkosikho won’t be getting his 400k

A feel-good story that has been the talk of the town over the past two days has taken a bit of a sour turn after South Africans found out that the more than R400,000 raised for Nkosikho Mbele’s children’s education will not be paid out to him directly.

The 28-year-old a petrol attendant gained overnight fame after a post about his kindness went viral.

A 21-year-old woman named Monet Van Deventer took to Facebook to share the story of how Mbele had helped her by paying for her petrol the other evening. This was after she realised she couldn’t pay because she had forgotten her purse at home.

The post has since been shared over 50,000 times.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2302126783164337

Once the post gained traction, Van Deventer started a crowdfunding campaign for him with the aim of raising R100,000. The campaign has since surpassed that by raising over R400,000.

Keen-eyed social media users who read the campaign’s description box and terms and conditions noted that the funds raised would not go directly to him and would instead be managed by the crowd-funding platform.

Backabuddy terms and conditions

The site which hosted the campaign confirmed this via Twitter.

NB: PLEASE NOTE
Funds raised by this campaign will be administered by BackaBuddy NPC and transferred directly to the relevant institutions for Nkosi’s children’s education.

Funds WILL NOT be paid into Nkosi’s PERSONAL BANK ACCOUNT.https://t.co/MZU2oJiGBG

— BackaBuddy NPC (@backabuddy) June 2, 2019

Many viewed this as an insult to the man who kicked off this entire thing with one act of kindness and took to Twitter to share their conspiracy theories about it.

Can he plz b given his money raw. Cause rumours have it that the wanna put in some crazy education fund

— 🇿🇦Radical (@colza91) June 3, 2019

https://twitter.com/LukhanyoV/status/1135515303054643203

When is he getting his money?

— Martin M (@MrMbosh) June 3, 2019

https://twitter.com/ennienhlanhla/status/1135535274287620096

https://twitter.com/MSL9000/status/1135530905836146689

Is it the one they said they won't give it to him? But on a trust? Yet government has money for the poor like Nkosi

— TaMos (@TaMos59534027) June 3, 2019

https://twitter.com/Thulani_Thlapi/status/1135520955734876160

So they are now dictating how the petrol attendant should spend his money?

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— lungelo buthelezi (@lungistorol) June 3, 2019

https://twitter.com/Nathi_MfokaJobe/status/1135505670944542721

https://twitter.com/demidashgod/status/1135503803829104640

According to the organization, Nkosi has asked that the money be administered by Backabuddy for his safety as he does not live in a safe area and the description box of the campaign has since been amended to reflect this.

Nkosi has asked that the money is administered by Backabuddy for his safety as he does not live in a safe area. If you have any questions please email info@backabuddy.co.za

— BackaBuddy NPC (@backabuddy) June 3, 2019

This has done little to quell the anger of the crowd as some of them have even taken to asking for their donations back.

Can I have my donation back because i don't approve or like any of this

— Lalo Salamanca (@Lil_CHXPO) June 3, 2019

We as https://t.co/p6lRQRBByN, who contributed to this fundraising campaign do not condone the path you have chosen. We believed that our contribution was for the funds to reach Nkosi Mbhele with no other parties acting as conduits to the money. We are disappointed.

— Akeldnok (@akeldnok) June 3, 2019

https://twitter.com/bontlelq/status/1135461048679632900

Speaking to Independent Media, Backabuddy said: “BackaBuddy Financial Manager and Chief Operations Officer Catherine Du Plooy is meeting with Nkhosikho and Monete this afternoon at the petrol station to discuss how Nkhosikho would like his funds to be managed. They will also speak with the service station manager to verify the details of Nkosi’s remarkable act of kindness.”

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