To be stranded along the road is something many a motorist fears. People are reluctant to stop and help, fearing for their safety. But for Ben van Rensburg, the kind gesture of a traffic official from the Parys Provincial Traffic Department on 3 June meant the world to him.
Nthabiseng Simama was doing duty at a roadblock just outside Vredefort when she saw the Toyota Fortuner standing alongside the road. When she asked what the problem was, Ben told her he suspected his fuel gauge was faulty, leaving him stranded without diesel.
He was on his way from Parys to Vredefort to fetch his cousin, Kobus Holtzhausen.
Nthabiseng immediately offered to assist him, saying traffic officials are not only there to write fines, but also to help people.
She took him to Kobus to fetch a container and then took them to a garage to get the diesel. She even helped them fill the Fortuner’s tank.
With Ben struggling to walk, and both he and Kobus being pensioners, they could not thank Nthabiseng enough for her kindness.
“She showed others how it should be done. When you deserve a fine, you should get it, but when help is needed, a good deed goes a long way,” Kobus said.
