While the Christmas season is generally one in which quality time is spent with family and loved ones, for the homeless, it is a different story.

For them, it is often a time of loneliness, especially in cities where residents have gone on holiday and hardly anyone is left to offer a lending hand. And in some parts of the country, it also means trying to find shelter from the summer rains after a fair share of cold winter weather.

This has been the life of one elderly man for the past three years on the corner William Nicol and Cromartie roads in Sandhurst, Johannesburg.

But that, as they say, is history.

Mbeji Dube, 88, known as John, lived behind an electrical box, just opposite the Hurlingham Gate complex, for three years.

Today, all that is now left at the place he once called home are a blanket and note which reads: “Friends of John, he is safe and at my home. He was getting too wet in the rain.”

The message is from Good Samaritan Kirsten Legg, 50, who decided to offer him shelter when it rained one Friday in November.

The wind and rain had strewn Dube’s possessions all over a patch of grass opposite the electrical box.

The image broke Legg’s heart, so she decided to collect them and have them cleaned.

But she told Dube if it rained again, she would fetch him and take him to her house. And that was exactly what she did the next Saturday.

“We were out at a friend’s party the following Saturday, and we only finished the party at midnight, and I said to my husband we have to make a detour.

“We have to go and fetch John. On Saturday night, we passed the electrical box, and John was sitting upright with his hands up, crying for help, and I said: ‘John, it’s me. Will you come with me?'”

Legg said her family had spotted Dube, who is partially blind, at the electrical box three years ago and had been taking him food and helping him with small essentials.

But after seeing the situation that Friday, his possessions strewn all over, Legg said she made up her mind to take him in.

Dube now enjoys the comfort of a beautiful room with an en-suite bathroom in Legg’s double-storey home. From his window, he can see a bright green garden.

News24 visited Dube at his new home and found him sitting on a couch next to his neatly made bed, listening to a small battery-run radio. He smiles as he is told that he has visitors.

“I wanted to make sure that John is in good health. I have a psychiatrist relative who was able to come and assess him. He says he is very healthy [although] there are slight areas of concern. A social worker has also come to meet him,” Legg says.

Legg is also in the process of looking for a nursing home for Dube, for which she intends to pay.

She said having Dube around her family has been a blessing and she is happy her children are empathetic toward the elderly man.

“I think it is very important for children to see and reach out to other people. Empathy is the most missing skill in the workforce today. The blessing has been greater to us than it has probably been to him.”

Most importantly, Legg said, Dube has since reunited with his wife who he had not seen for three years, as well as his children and grandchildren.

Since Legg took the man in, his family has kept in contact and have been visiting him.

Legg says the story about what led him to break away from the family was unclear because he has his version and the family have their own.

However, that is not a concern and what is essential is that Dube is well-taken care of and in good health, a smiling Legg adds.

Describing his stay in his new shelter, Dube says: “I am feeling very nice and I am eating nicely here. If I want to sleep, I just sleep here on the sofa.”

Although the first few days were difficult for him, Dube has now adapted and has a routine which Legg and her helpers jointly assist in.

It takes a village 

He wakes up at around 06:00, is served breakfast at 09:00 and tea and biscuits at around 11:00. He then sits on the patio listening to the birds before he is served lunch.

After his afternoon nap, he is woken up at around 17:30 or 18:00 for dinner before he goes back to bed at night.

“I really hope to start a foundation called Love is a Verb. I hope to help the elderly on the streets. That is what I feel I am led to do. I do have a plan of doing great things for the homeless around Johannesburg and within our country,” the mother of three says.

The saying “It takes a village to raise a child” has been the same notion at the Leggs’ home in taking care of Dube, as her helpers have stepped in without hesitation in assisting with bathing, dressing and feeding Dube.

“My life was very bad behind there [the electrical box]. I don’t want to go back that side. I don’t like that place anymore. People were just coming there and laughing at me,” Dube says, adding he is now comfortable.

The helpers at the Legg household are enjoying his company and they have likened Dube to a father.

A gentleman

Lizzy, 56, who shares the same surname as Dube, said she was shocked to see the condition he was in when he first arrived at the Legg home. She said Dube shared jokes with them when they assisted him.

The man has also been described as a gentleman who takes good care of himself.

Legg said when she packed his belongings before taking him in, she found a plastic bag full of leaves. When she asked him what they were for, he said he often chewed them to keep his teeth strong and healthy. He also often drank a substance to keep his urine clean.

But now his shaving kit, toothbrush and Colgate toothpaste sit next to the basin in the en-suite bathroom.

“We always help each other. She [Kirsten] is treating him like her father. She has a good heart because other people cannot do that. I feel like crying because of what she did,” an emotional Rachel says.

Another helper at the household, Justice Moyo, 44, hugged Dube and said: “He is like my grandfather. It is good to be with him. He is a good man.”

Dube has created a bond with Legg’s two daughters, Emma and Jessica, and son Bradley.

‘Get your hands dirty’

Her eldest daughter, Emma, 19, said ever since her parents took him, she has realised how privileged and blessed she is.

“I’ve never heard someone say thank you so much and really mean it. He is so happy all the time. For someone who didn’t have much, to just have this energy and just be so happy is so infectious to all of us.”

Legg is encouraging South Africa to step out and help without hesitation. With the plans of starting a foundation called Love is a Verb, she wants to change the lives of elderly people who are homeless.

“We cannot live in fear. You’ve got to step out. Step out in faith and if you feel you are led to do something, do not hesitate but do it.

“Get your hands dirty. You never know what difference you could make.”

An alleged thief who was electrocuted while attempting to steal cables at the Wychwood substation in Germiston on Thursday is “lucky to be alive”, an Ekurhuleni councillor says.

Kade Guerreiro, who is a councillor for Ward 36 in the region, was at the scene following an explosion at the substation around midday.

Speaking to News24 on Friday, Guerreiro said he was alerted by residents about the explosion which resulted in power cuts in the area.

When he reached the substation, he added, the suspect had tried to flee the scene but was unable to do so because of the severity of his injuries

Guerreiro said the man was not alone and his accomplice had fled the scene.

“He wasn’t alone. He worked with somebody else and they were trying to cut the copper cables at the substation. He had obviously done something and cut something that was wrong…” he said.

The damage to the substation has been estimated to cost millions of rand.

Guerreiro said the incident left about seven sections of the community without electricity, adding technicians from the City of Ekurhuleni had worked tirelessly and restored power by midnight.

“The scary thing is that the amount of power that was needed to give the community energy [was affected]. The amount of power [from] the substation was so strong that it melted his shoes.”

 

The Cape Town metro saw the highest prices paid for residential property in South Africa this year, according to Ross Levin, managing director for Seeff Atlantic Seaboard and City Bowl.

There were about 50 high-value sales of between R20m and R60m in Cape Town during the year, says Levin, adding that 9 of the top 10 suburbs in the country are in Cape Town. These all boast a median price of over R10m (over R20m in Clifton). The median value means half of the homes sold for more and half for less than that.

For the 12-month period to the end November the average transaction value in Cape Town was R2.2m. Over the same period the Pretoria metro had an average price of R1.2m. While the average sale price in Johannesburg was R1.483m, in the suburb of Sandton the average was R2.3m. In Durban the average sale price was just over R1m.

Examples of some high-end sales in Cape Town in 2019:

Fresnaye – R100m

The largest sale made by RE/MAX during the year was a R100m sale of the four-level Villa Soleil in the Atlantic Seaboard suburb of Fresnaye.

It has 5 bedrooms, 2 swimming pools, entertainment areas (indoors and outdoors), a gym with suspended dance practice floor, a theatre, a “night club”, and an enclosed astro-turf pitch.

The main stairway is suspended in a steel and glass “box” over the pool. Access is also possible in a glass lift which travels “through” the pool.

From the living areas with their uninterrupted Atlantic Ocean and horizon views, the pool creates the impression of “floating” above the surroundings.

The top level is home to the master suite which is accessed via a concealed panel in the hallway. It has its own deck, heated pool and fireplace and the walk-in dressing room provides 20 meters of cupboard space.

Water is collected from an underground source as well as rainwater off the roof, which is then purified. Solar panels and heat pumps supply air conditioning and heating. State-of-the-art automation manages the blinds, security, internet and communication systems.

Bantry Bay – R65.m

Dogon Group Properties sold an apartment at The Bantry in Bantry Bay for R65.5m. The 431m² apartment has three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a study, chef’s kitchen, wine cellar and direct lift access.

It is perched on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean with uninterrupted views that almost give the impression of “floating on the ocean”.

Dogon Group also sold a property situated in Higgovale to an international businessman for R85m. According to Denise Dogon, CEO of Dogon Group Properties, the property is situated on over an acre of land – making this the largest residential erf in the City Bowl.

The property boasts a main house with two kitchens, study, four large en suite bedrooms and a large living area with views down to the CBD and Table Bay. Apart from the main building, there are two separate guest suites, a gym, a pool pavilion adjoining the 25 metre long heated swimming pool, and a rim-flow jacuzzi.

Hout Bay – R37m

Seeff sold three a property forming part of the exclusive Kerzner Estate in Hout Bay for R37m during the year. The development, consisting of 48 houses, was launched by Sun City founder and hotel magnate Sol Kerzner and his daughter Andrea in 2018.

The 10ha Kerzner Estate is located high on the slopes of Leeukoppie with stunning views towards Chapman’s Peak, the bay, valley and mountains.

Developed as an eco-estate, each plot is around 1 500m². The 48 luxury houses feature unique designs using of natural building materials and tailored to suit each individual site. House sizes range from 374m² to 738m².

Bishopscourt – R27m

Pam Golding Properties sold a mansion in Bishopscourt for R27m. The property boasts some of the best views in this southern suburb of Cape Town.

A police officer has been caught drinking and driving two days in a row by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) as holidaymakers approach the tail end of the festive season.

“The officer was given a R500 bail following his first arrest in Zebediel in Limpopo on Thursday night. He was again caught on Friday night when he allegedly tried to flee from a roadblock. He was found to be twice above the alcohol [limit] when tested,” RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane said on Saturday.

He said the arrest came as a clamp down on roads was implemented with families making their way back home after the Christmas holidays.

“The number of cars leaving Durban surged dramatically at noon today with more than 1 300 vehicles recorded at Marrianhill toll plaza.”

Zwane said that since December 1, more than 2 500 people had been arrested.

“Drivers are reminded to reduce speed, increase the following distance and turn on the headlights when driving in rainy conditions. It is the best option to find a safe place and park when confronted by severe thunderstorms.”

He added: “Motorists are again warned to refrain from driving under the influence of alcohol and adhere to the speed limits.”

Zwane said the number of crashes involving excessive speed and pedestrians increased.

“Many crashes experienced during this period have involved single motor vehicles overturning resulting in injuries to thousands of people. Motorists are reminded that they have a responsibility to reduce the high number of crashes and fatalities in the country.”

A 41-year-old man is expected in court for allegedly killing and hiding the body of his 16-year-old female relative.

The suspect was arrested on Friday after the body of Allisandre Floors was found in a plantation, a few kilometres away from Storms River, earlier that day.

Floors was last seen on December 23 and was later reported missing to the police.

Police spokesperson Colonel Sibongile Soci said immediately after the teenager was reported missing police began searching for the man, while detectives followed some leads.

“Search and rescue teams also descended to the area to assist with the search. The detectives’ leads paid off and the suspect was arrested.

“He then led the police to the plantation about 10km outside Storms River, where the body was found. The suspect is related to the deceased and it was also confirmed that he was the person who was last seen with the teenager,” Soci said.