Well-doers still check up on Smiley after Nelson Mandel Day
Initiatives like the 67 minutes for Mandela Day should not be limited to July 18 each year.
Benedict “Smiley” Ndlovu was treated to some time off from his job as a flower seller in Mostert Street in the city as part of Emnotweni Casino and Nelspruit Post’s contribution to Mandela Day earlier this year. Adam MacIntyre from Emnotweni Casino and Buks Esterhuizen from Lowveld Media took over Ndlovu’s duties for the day as he looked on and rested while they sold flowers.
The good deed did not end there as the partners, as part of their corporate social investment, noticed that the popular vendor suffered from an eye defect and they wanted to investigate the condition on a pro bono basis. According to Ndlovu, he was attacked by gun-wielding thugs while on a trip to Johannesburg a few years ago and shot by these assailants.
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He said, quite matter-of-factly, “The gangsters wanted to rob me and shot me in the eye.”
The incident has left him with a glass eye, which was only discovered after a recent visit to doctor Attie van Wyk’s practice to ascertain whether an operation is required to help with his condition.
After weeks of trying to make contact with Ndlovu, Louise Botes from Tsogo Sun Emnotweni Casino managed to track the ever-smiling Ndlovu down. A visit to the doctor was arranged, and after an examination by Van Wyk, the discovery was made that Ndlovu had lost an eye during the attack.
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“We waited 45 minutes for the doctor and had to cancel the appointment, but managed another on Monday. Smiley has a glass eye, which I wish we had known earlier, but it was discovered that he had incurred an eye infection in the affected eye, so an ointment was prescribed which should last for approximately six months.”
This should alleviate any pain and ease the infection which Botes added is all that could be done for Ndlovu so far. Initiatives like the 67 minutes for Mandela Day should not be limited to July 18 each year, but regular follow-ups should be conducted in order to sustain the momentum and leave a lasting impact on the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves.
