A community rallied together to right the wrongs and help a small business (and family in the process)!
Johannesburg, South Africa (21 May 2021) – It’s a story that we have heard many times, police swoop in, confiscate everything and then hand over a hefty fine leaving a family distraught and a small business in ruins, but this story has a different ending, a happy ending!
This is a story that proves we really do rise by lifting each other!
Colette Symanowitz shared the story with us about a community who banded together to help a victim of corruption, one with a really happy ending.
“Outside our Sandown Estate suburb, on the corner of Katherine Drive and Amalinda Road, Sandton, a hawker by the name of Peter Phiri, sells fruit, snacks and drinks to passers-by. Come sunset, he packs up everything and walks home with his wife and two small children.”
Symanowitz says that he has been doing this for roughly five years, working hard to make ends meet for his family. Or at least this is what he did, until Wednesday this week.
The concerned South African says that it looked like something out of a movie scene – three police cars, a combi and a large police truck with at least 12 police officers swooped in and raided Peter’s stand, impounded his supplies and equipment, and slapped him with a R1700 impounding fee.
“All because his hawker’s permit expired one week ago. In one shameful, sickening swoop, they destroyed the lives of this small family, whose only crime was trying to earn an honest living. In the words of one of our neighbours: Not proudly South African right now.”
But the community rallied together to help Peter and his family get back on their feet!
“Shirley Katz and Gary Goldberg immediately put out a plea to help Peter on their neighbourhood WhatsApp group. In the space of a few hours, we clubbed together to raise over R5000 (with a gazebo thrown in as well). This should cover Peter’s impounding fee and his permit renewal and replace the supplies and equipment he lost. Hopefully, this will be enough to get Peter and his family back on their feet.”
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