A forgotten set of keys, a handwritten note and some very lekker Metro Police officers have given South Africans another reason to smile.
Western Cape, South Africa (12 October 2026) – I have known of Dr Michael Mol for what feels like forever. We work in the same industry but somehow had never actually met. That changed last week when he MC’d the Betterbond Awards, which I attended as a Betterbond ambassador (they sponsor my poddie). We spent much of the evening together (whenever he wasn’t on stage)… and what an incredible human being! He is warm, funny, engaging and just an all-round lekker guy. By the end of the evening, I felt like I’d made a new friend.
Then, yesterday, I was tagged multiple times in one of his Facebook posts that was going viral. What are the chances? It turns out Michael isn’t just a lekker guy. He’s also a Good Things Guy. And so are a few Cape Town Metro Police officers who went out of their way to help him!
“I’m not old enough to blame what happened on absent-mindedness… it was a hasty case of ‘running late for kick-off’ – so we parked the Vespa as close as we could and high-tailed it to our Greenpoint Stadium seats for the Stormers-Sharks showdown yesterday.”
Everything was going swimmingly until the 70th minute, when Michael started thinking about leaving the stadium and reached for his keys. They weren’t there. And the realisation of what he might have done sent him rushing outside.
“At the 70th minute (game in hand), I started thinking about our exit and felt for my keys … nothing! I went cold – must’ve left them on the bike … couldn’t focus on the game after that, so I rushed out hoping that by some miracle the bike would still be where I left it.”
Thankfully, the Vespa was still there. But the keys were gone, replaced by a crumpled handwritten note.
Constable Langenhoven and his fellow Cape Town Metro Police officers had spotted the keys and taken them into safekeeping. When Michael called the number, they arrived within minutes, complete with smiles and a little good-natured scolding.
“Turns out the miracle has a name … Constable Langenhoven and his fellow metro police officers. They pitched up a few minutes later saying tut-tut with some shaking heads (that I fully deserved) but broad smiles and that little Vespa key that I had to describe in detail before reclaiming it.”
After making sure Michael was the rightful owner, the officers handed over the keys, and he asked whether he could take a photo and share their good deed online. They happily agreed, but had one condition.
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Tin Collector's Love for His Dog Got a Helping Hand From a Stranger Who Stopped!“Big thank you to CST Langenhoven (whose handwriting is at least more legible than mine) for the good deed. I asked for permission to take a pic and post the story … ‘on one condition’ they all said: ‘That you tag JP Smith!’ 😂👊”
And Michael did exactly that, tagging Cape Town’s JP Smith and giving the officers a well-deserved public shout-out.
We spend so much time talking about what goes wrong in South Africa, especially when it comes to crime and policing, that it’s important to celebrate the people getting things right. And South Africans agree! Michael’s post has attracted loads of positive attention, with people celebrating the officers and sharing their own experiences of honesty and kindness.
“Wow, what a story! It’s amazing to see the ‘pure for sure’ people that work for our city. There is so much rot and so it makes it even more standout to see this honesty and integrity among those who protect us,” wrote Clelland Kruger.
Irmgard Smit recalled accidentally dropping her phone while getting out of her car during a shopping trip. Two car guards kept it safe until she returned, and after she proved it was hers, she was happily reunited with it. Both men received a generous tip for their honesty. Bernard van den Dool shared an almost identical experience to Michael’s, having dropped his motorcycle keys during the Mall of the North Marathon. When he returned to his bike and couldn’t find them, a car guard approached him with the missing keys.
Claire Frost summed up the feeling best.
“Brilliant story – these are the little stories that remind us there is still hope for our country. Yes please – let have more wonderful people like these serving our people.”
Constable Langenhoven and his colleagues probably never expected their actions to attract so much attention. They were just doing their jobs, looking out for someone who needed a little help. But thanks to Michael, their kindness has reached far beyond that stadium parking area, inspiring thousands of South Africans and giving these everyday heroes the recognition they deserve.
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