A R50 000 fundraising campaign has been launched to reward Durban chef Ayakha Godlwana after he risked his life to rescue a 74-year-old woman trapped inside the burning Delfi Greek Taverna.

Godlwana, who works as a chef at Palm Terrace Restaurant, made several attempts to enter the burning restaurant at the intersection of Lillian Ngoyi and Livingstone roads before succeeding on his fourth attempt.

The daring rescue on Thursday (September 3) saw Godlwana hailed as a hero, with his bravery attracting widespread attention across SA and beyond.

“At that moment I had no thoughts or fear, I just knew that I had to help after being told that there was an elderly woman inside,” said Godlwana. “I had to get to where the lady was. Through God’s will and guidance I was able to find my way through the smoke and get to her in time.”

Also Read: Hero risks all to save elderly woman from burning Delfi

His story quickly went viral, attracting the attention of media houses and social media users. However, the humble chef said he never expected the attention.

“I was surprised when I started getting calls,” said Godlwana. “I was not looking for fame or attention. I was just helping.”

His life-saving efforts have now inspired Zane Groenewald to launch a BackaBuddy campaign to reward Godlwana for his bravery and kindness.

“In a moment when someone desperately needed help, he stepped forward without hesitation and showed us the very best of humanity,” said Groenewald.

Also Read: Durban rallies to help Delfi rise from the ashes

The ‘A Hero Called Ayakha’ campaign aims to raise R50 000 for the Morningside resident. Groenewald said Godlwana’s actions had stayed with him after hearing about the rescue.

“After risking his own life to save someone else, Ayakha simply went back to work,” said Groenewald. “When asked about what he had done, he simply said he was happy to help. There is something incredibly powerful about that.”

Moved by Godlwana’s actions and humility, Groenewald said this was why he had launched the campaign.

“What he did was truly heroic, and I hope this campaign gives people the opportunity to thank and celebrate him for it. Ayakha, you showed up when someone needed you most. Now we want to show up for you.”

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