Good Samaritan reaps rewards
A Facebook post prompted an outpouring of support from the community, as well as a few job offers
Too many of us spend our days thinking about what the world owes us – or what has gone wrong today.
Not Sandile Tembe.
The 31-year-old Tembe, who grew up in Groutville, gained some small local celebrity status after a post on the Dolphin Coast Neighbours group on Facebook applauded him for going out of his way to voluntarily pick up litter at Thomson’s Bay beach.
“I had a friend whose job was to maintain the beaches,” Tembe told The Courier.
“When that friend left I noticed how dirty the beaches were becoming and decided to do something about it.”
Unemployed at the time, Tembe was not looking for compensation and told those who asked that he was picking up litter ‘so that visitors can have a clean beach’.
The Facebook post prompted an outpouring of support from the community, as well as a few job offers.
One of those keen to show Tembe that the Dolphin Coast appreciates people who really care was Mo-Zam-Bik’s Brett Michiellin.
Michielin has since employed him as a member of his kitchen staff.
“I am always ready to employ someone who shows this kind of pride,” said Michiellin.
“Once you have that kind of pride – everything else is just training.”
Michiellin said Tembe had adapted well to his new position in the kitchen.
in the kitchen at Mo-Zam-Bik
“He battled at first with his eyes but I have since taken him to SpecSavers and bought him some new glasses.”
Having a job has not stopped Tembe from caring about the community though, as he still finds time to pick up litter on the beach.
“If I could give a message to the community it would be to take care of the place where you live by keeping it clean. Picking up litter is such a small thing – but it makes a big difference,” said Tembe.
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