Making a difference is what drives Shadrack

He picks up papers, sweeps the pavements and weeds the flower beds for the love of it, without expecting any reward. Shadrack Mogorosi (54) has been voluntarily cleaning the streets of Potchefstroom for the past 5 years. Sometimes, the kind-hearted shop owners give him tips ranging from R10 to R40 for the day’s work, as a token of appreciation. Most of the time, however, he works diligently on the streets and goes home without a cent.

Shadrack’s volunteerism started when he walked around collecting soda can pull-rings in 2012. He used to collect them in 2-litre bottles for recycling. He says he has heard that there is a place in Klerksdorp that pays handsomely for them, but he has not taken them there yet.

“For the first time in my life, I realised just how dirty the Potchefstroom CBD was. I made it my mission to help out, even though I knew I would not be paid for my work. I only did it for the love of it.”

Today, Shadrack enjoys cleaning the pavements of Sol Plaatjie Street from the music shop to Turkstra Bakery. He sometimes cleans up to where the hawkers sell their fruit and vegetables under a tree. The owner of Jimmy.com is extremely impressed by Shadrack’s hard work and selfless attitude.

“The municipality workers get paid but do not clean this area; Shadrack is doing their job. This area is always dirty until he comes along.”

Jimmy Kgaje can vouch for Shadrack and says he is good at his job. He wishes Good Samaritans would hire him to work in their gardens or at the municipality. Shadrack’s love for gardening started when his mother got him a job with the Grobbelaar family when he was still a schoolboy. “Mr Grobbelaar used to work at the City Council but, when I was the gardener at his home he was still a student at the PUK Campus,” he says.

Shadrack matriculated from Bethel High School in 1980 and went on to work at Witrand as a male nurse for three years when it was still only a rehabilitation centre.

Things did not go well for him, however, and he had to leave.

“Luckily, I found a job as a substitute teacher at a primary school in Klipdrift. It went well until I had to discipline a bully for beating up another boy. His brother recruited some heavies to beat me up. I suffered a concussion as a result of the attack.

That incident still haunts him to this day. The soft-spoken Shadrack stays with his sister and her husband and survives on handouts from his sister.

Any Good Samaritan who would like to help Shadrack Mogorosi should call Mr Jimmy Kgaje on 079 359 7228/ 018 294 5111.