‘Believe me. I am really blind,” says Vereeniging beggar
VEREENIGING. – A well known beggar’s claim that he “only has 7% sight” has come under scrutiny after photographs recently surfaced on a social media platform where he appears to be walking around casually in the CBD without the aid of his walking stick or assistance.
Ockert Potgieter (64), who makes a living by begging for money behind the River Square Shopping Centre in Three Rivers is however adamant that he is almost completely blind.
Every day Ockert goes to the crossing between Generaal Hertzog and Nile Drive where he sits on the island in the middle of traffic on a folding chair and asks passing motorists for money. He claims that due to his blindness he is unable to work.
But Japie Venter, a Vaalweekblad reader, finds it hard to believe Ockert’s story. Japie says he recently saw Ockert in the CBD where he walked around casually without the help of his walking stick or any assistance.
Japie took photo’s and sent it to Vaalweekblad.
He explains: “I was sitting in a car that was parked out the Post Office (in the CBD), waiting for my wife when I saw him (Ockert) and another man walking past. I recognised him as the same person who usually sits behind River Square and begs for money, so I decided to take a photograph.”
On another photograph that was supplied one can see how Ockert seemingly walks around casually without the aid of his cane or any assistance while carrying his foldable chair and walking stick on his back.
Ockert said in response: “I can’t walk without that stick, even if I wanted to.”
He is adamant that he is completely blind in the left eye and has only 7% sight in the right eye.
The qualified boilermaker says that a piece of stainless steel is still lodged in his eye after an accident at the Lethabo Power Station let him completely blind in the one eye years ago.
Years later he lost almost all the sight in his right eye after an operation to remove cataract went horribly wrong at the Sebokeng Hospital.
“Now my other eye is also pretty much buggered,” says Ockert.
Ockert says he has a thick file full of doctors papers which can prove that he really is mostly blind. The files are kept at his house.
He added that Dominee Chris Olivier, a local preacher from the Three Rivers-East Congregation helped to raise R30 000 for a much needed operation on his only remaining working eye.
“Was it not for that operation I would be totally blind,” Ockert says.
