[Image: Military Wiki / Matti Blume]
Mzansi taxi drivers get a relatively bad rep in and around the country, as they whip people to and fro.
Some locals might even admit to being a little scared of the guys who drive like they’ve left their heads behind and threaten anyone who gets in their way – the government included.
But there is always a gem amongst the rough, isn’t there? One taxi driver that TimesLIVE identified as Nathan Ashraf showed such grace in someone’s moment of need that all our Saffa hearts are thawing.
Ashraf’s act of kindness was caught on camera and has since become a viral video, garnering up to 2,5 million watched on TikTok and 133,000 likes.
In the video shared by the sustainable fishing page Hook & Grill, Ashraf is seen leaving the door of his taxi open as he rushes to assist an older man in crossing the road. The southeaster winds, or the ‘Cape Doctor’ as they are affectionately known, were so intense that the man was being pushed to the ground.
@hookngrill #fyp #fypシ #fypシ゚viral #hookngrill #capetown #southafrica ♬ original sound – Hook&Grill
Ag, sweet man! The comments agree:
Shicayla Miems commented: “That he left his door open in that wind and ran for the old guy speaks volumes.”
Another TikTok user, Megan Joan McCann, said: “This is the South Africa I know and love. The spirit of ubuntu. Love your neighbour as you love yourself.”
Leesa Tshabalala shared a personal anecdote: “I remember struggling up a steep hill and a taxi driver pulled over and helped me … He gave me assurance that ‘I got this’ and he’s got my back.”
Another person commented on the hate that taxi drivers usually get:
“If we’re honest with ourselves as Capetonians, the vast majority of taxi drivers are good people but I wonder why we are conditioned to hate them so much and who benefits from this hate”.
These were the wild winds that blew just recently in January, but as you may well know, Cape Town is no stranger to the force of the southeaster, which blows in from False Bay and funnels through the city.
The Cape Doctor is legendary not just for its sheer force but for the way it sweeps the city clean, chasing away pollution with an almost ruthless efficiency. It can be anything from a restless breeze to a howling tempest, sometimes raging for days without mercy. On this occasion, it was at its most ferocious, turning the streets into an obstacle course where even the hardiest pedestrians struggled to stay upright.
Amid the relentless gusts, Ashraf’s act of kindness was a rare moment of warmth – a brief but welcome reprieve.
[Source: TimesLIVE]
