An afro American pump attendant paid for the fuel of a white woman who forgot her credit cards because he didn’t want her to end up stranded in a dangerous area of the town.
For this selfless gesture, the attendant Nikosikho Mbele who’s 28 was rewarded with more than $34,000!
He helped serve the 21-year-old Monet van Deventer at a Shell gas station at the outskirts of Cape Town when van Deventer, an account manager, realized she didn’t have her credit cards.
Mbele knew that if he refused to fill up the lady’s gas tank that she could’ve ended up stranded in the notorious Khayelitsha township. Therefore, he paid $6 from his own money so that he could fill up the tank of the car.
Van Deventer Returns the Favor, Leaves Mbele Speechless
In order to return the favor, van Deventer made a crowd-funding appeal to raise money for Mbele. The amount they reached was more than $34,000 or the boy’s equivalent of eight years of salary.
The story quickly went viral and Mbele was joyful, although he never expected this. He said how he did what anyone else would have, from his heart. For him, there’s no black and white and he believes we’re all one.
Van Deventer didn’t just raise the money, but also visited the petrol station in person and paid him back the sum he paid for the fuel.
Van Deventer, who’s originally from Gordons Bay, was on her daily 35-mile drive to Cape Town with her VW Polo when she pulled up at the petrol station where Mbele works.
If It Weren’t for Mbele, Van Deventer Could’ve Ended Up Stranded on Dangerous Highway
She asked him to hold off the fueling since she couldn’t find her purse. She realized that she had left it at home, along with her money and credit cards.
She told him she would chance to make it to work, but he refused this and told her that he can’t allow her to run out of fuel on the N2. It’s dangerous and placed R100 of his money to fill up the tank.
She was speechless of the amazing gesture and decided to share the story on Facebook and open up the crowdfunding page.
She wrote that “I couldn’t imagine people of South Africa, both black and white, embrace his kindness in a way that he’s closed the account as he says he has too much money.”
How Will Mbele Use the Money?
Mbele’s wealth made him fear for his own safety because someone from the township may try to rob him. He asked from the site to hold onto the money and invest it into making him a house, pay the fees for the school of his kids, and pay for his bills.
Mbele lives with his two kids, his mom, and his brother in a small shack. He says that he was happy to help the lady because he knows how dangerous N2 can be. But he never thought he would be so blessed for what he did.
Shell, Mbele’s employers decided to match the donation, as long as Mbele passes it onto a charity that he chooses.
Mbele says that his life has been turned upside down; he became a celebrity overnight thanks to his pure kindness. He says how people stop and ask him for selfies.
Running out of fuel in the townships of South Africa is highly risky. Recently, a young couple was shot dead on the motorway bridge near Johannesburg when their car run out of fuel.
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