Parting with his beloved companion was the saddest thing for Bedfordview community member Sbu Dube as he set his sights back home due to growing tensions towards foreign nationals in South Africa.

Zimbabwean national Sbu had been on the corner of Van Der Linde Road in Bedfordview since 2016.

His three-year-old canine companion Justice joined him later on. But on July 7, the two friends parted ways in a heart-wrenching moment as Justice was taken to a new foster home.

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“Parting with my dog was a terrible experience. My wife and I were heartbroken; I don’t want to lie. We used to shed tears now and then, since we decided to leave. The dog would even feel the tension sometimes. But I am happy we managed to foster the dog; he is in good hands,” he said.

Bedfordview resident Heidi Bresler, who initiated the appeal for Sbu on Facebook, explained that when seeking a foster home for Justice, they needed a warm, loving, safe environment, with a family who is patient and who knows and understands dogs, especially where rehoming is involved.

“Sbu and Justice had a very close bond, and rehoming can often result in behavioural changes and separation anxiety.

Justice will be going from a home where he was the only dog to a home where he’ll have three siblings; there will also be dietary changes, so one needs to know how to navigate those transitions,” Heidi explained.

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She added that enough space for daily exercise, property security, and financial considerations for food and veterinary care were also taken into account.

Heidi said the local vet, BVH, will be doing all the necessary health checks for Justice, who is already booked in for sterilisation, vaccination, and a microchip.

Narrating how the ordeal began, Heidi said Sbu had messaged her while she was volunteering at the Zimbabwean Consulate in Cape Town on the night of June 20.

He said his wife, Mary, had been hospitalised and had surgery on the 19th for an ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage (they were to have twins). The surgery was equivalent to that of a C-Section, and she had a fallopian tube removed as it had torn and she was bleeding badly, but was told she needed to leave the hospital; her care was being compromised, and the verbal attacks had already begun.

“I assisted Sbu with ordering transport to their home, as his wife was not able to walk due to the pain. They spent the next few days at home, with Sbu caring for Mary; it was also now not safe for him to ‘go to his office’ (that being Van Der Linde Road), which is where people know him from. He now wasn’t earning, and the safety aspect of going to the pharmacy to get her medication was now also compromised,” Heidi recounted.

On the afternoon of July 4, Sbu messaged Heidi, saying he had sad news: it was no longer safe for them and they needed to leave South Africa due to rising tensions between immigrants and locals.

Vigilante groups and law enforcement were doing joint operations in the surrounding areas with door-to-door sweeps to take out the foreigners, and that even those who were documented were not safe. Heidi added that Sbu also feared for his beloved companion, Justice, and he wasn’t sure how to proceed.

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“Given Sbu’s own physical limitations, his wife’s recent surgery, their dog, and the mere fact that Sbu is just such a wonderfully decent human being and has been part of Bedfordview for so many years; and given what I had witnessed in the repatriation camps the weekend before, his wife was in no physical state to endure that, and neither of them deserved to suffer that indignity.

“Many of the Bedfordview community know Sbu’s friendly smile and chatty personality, and so a post on the Basically Bedfordview Facebook page seemed a more viable and immediate solution, and a more personal one too,” Heidi said.

Indeed, the Bedfordview community’s response was quick, loaded with kindness, generosity and support. Within three hours of the appeal for a foster home for Justice, Heidi shared that Julianne of Pet Au Pair reached out to ask if she could assist, and within 24 hours she had secured a wonderful foster mom, Carmel (Scruffy to Fluffy Dog Grooming).

By 13 hours, they had secured enough for a single bus ticket, a single border fee, and the transport of their belongings. By 24 hours, a second bus ticket and border fee were secured.

Heidi expressed heartfelt gratitude to the community for opening their hearts for Sbu and his family.

Sbu, who had been named Hardlife at birth, decided to change his name to Sibusiso. He recalled how he had started a welding DIY business in 2007. When he stood at the traffic lights to hand out pamphlets for his business, some people would just give him money without checking the pamphlets.

However, in 2008, all his welding tools were stolen when his house was broken into, and he was stuck for a while. A man named Ian Swart had hired him in Primrose but unfortunately passed away. In 2016, Sbu remembered his corner in Bedfordview and went back.

“So then I decided to go there and see if I could beg because I didn’t have any other option. I started standing there in my corner, on Van Der Linde. That is when I opened a new chapter in my life.”

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Sbu began to chase away smash-and-grab perpetrators from what was then a hotspot. “I don’t know how I became that brave. But I decided it had to stop because these people were terrorising my friends, the people who were looking after me. I just had the guts to confront them.”

He added that there were usually two or three perpetrators involved. They would park their vehicle under the bridge before walking to the corner where the bridge begins.

When vehicles stopped at the traffic light, they would pounce on unsuspecting victims, smash a window, grab any valuables they could, and flee, Sbu explained.

He also expressed his gratitude to RAG Security for its consistent support.

Sbu expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to help people stranded on the roadside, encourage those going through difficult times, and inspire three people who had undergone leg amputations but had wanted to give up on life, among many others.

Upon getting to his country, Sbu hopes to one day own a welding workshop and run a welding business. He also wishes to establish a hair salon for Mary, to send his daughter to university next year, and to see his son become a strong man.

“Once I am in my country, I hope the people of Bedfordview may remain safe and stay blessed. I hope for healthier countries, Zimbabwe and South Africa, in that corruption ends and all rotten tomatoes are removed from the basket.

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“I thank the Bedfordview Community for accepting me, understanding who I am and for understanding what’s happening in our lives. People should remember that what happens in life is not the end because this too shall pass.”