If you are a soldier, you do not hesitate, you just jump in and try to save lives. These were the words from Sibusiso Manduzu Matrick Mbhele, the reefer cargo truck driver at Time Freight who was propelled to social media fame after a photo of him saving the life of a pensioner during the massive storm in Durban last week went viral.
The family of the elderly lady, who had been trapped inside a car, used social media to track Mbhele down to thank him for saving her life. It later transpired that Mbhele had safely parked his vehicle and entered the rushing waters – filled with dangerous debris - to not only save the life of Janet Hart but also those trapped in a minibus taxi and another passenger vehicle as well.
“As I was driving on the N2 northbound I heard on the radio that people were being washed away – with news of casualties already being speculated on – and I knew I had to use my lifeguard training to do something,” he told FTW Online.
He dismissed the idea that he was now seen as a hero by many. “I was just doing what I was trained to do. And although I am no longer an active lifeguard, that call to duty remains,” said Mbhele.
Hart disagreed, saying: “I am the elderly lady in the car and I am eternally grateful to the gentleman who stopped his Time Freight van and rescued me. I was petrified and he assured me that he was also a lifesaver…. truly my hero. Thank you.”
Mbhele, whom a colleague referred to as a “genuine gentleman”, has worked for Time Freight as a driver for four years. He said he enjoyed the job because it took him across the country, adding that the long hours on the road could sometimes be challenging.
He got the job through a learnership and said the company had a policy of ongoing training to keep drivers’ skills fresh. “The job allows me to provide for my two beautiful daughters – aged eight years and five months respectively,” Mbhele said.
It is not the first time truck drivers have made headlines for bravery. In last year’s flash floods in Johannesburg truck drivers stopped to create a human chain above the rushing waters to help pedestrians and trapped motorists to safety.
