Community Comes Together to Restore Dignity to Vulnerable Elderly Man

Photo Credit: The Elders Voice KZN (Facebook)

A 72-year-old wheelchair-bound man found living on the streets near Kingsburgh Mall has been cleaned, cared for and taken to hospital after members of the community stepped in to help.

Kingsburgh, South Africa (21 August 2026) – A heartbreaking discovery on the side of a road near Kingsburgh Mall has ended with one elderly man getting the care and dignity he desperately needed, thanks to a group of strangers who simply refused to leave him there.

After receiving several messages about a couple sleeping outside the mall, a local team went to assess the situation. While the circumstances surrounding the woman were already known to organisations along the South Coast, it was the man beside her who immediately raised alarm.

The 72-year-old, who is confined to his wheelchair, had reportedly been brought from Durban and was being used to beg on the streets. When rescuers found him, he was in a distressing condition, covered in faeces and suffering from wounds.

With darkness approaching and temperatures dropping, Luyande Meyer and Alta from Heart of Toti got to work. They returned with clean blankets, a pillow, clothing, nappies, soap, water, a bucket, linen savers and other essentials.

Then, right there on the side of the road, they cleaned and bathed the elderly man as best they could, tended to his wounds and helped him into fresh clothes.

It was hardly a conventional setting for a rescue; they simply saw an elderly man who needed help.

The team had initially been waiting for a state ambulance to take him to hospital, but as the evening grew colder, they decided they couldn’t keep waiting.

Konrad from Faithmed stepped in. An ambulance was arranged, and the man was eventually taken to Prince Mshiyeni Hospital, where he could receive the medical attention he so urgently needed.

The rescue was made possible by several people who stepped up along the way, including a generous donor who covered the ambulance costs.

The team also praised Alta for helping restore the man’s dignity, while Luyande was singled out for her willingness to get stuck in and help without worrying about the circumstances.

The organisation also thanked members of the public who had reached out about the situation in the first place.

Homelessness is rarely a simple story. The team understands that not every situation can be solved overnight, and organisations cannot always change someone’s entire life.

While his circumstances could not be fixed overnight, their actions ensured he was no longer alone, neglected or without care.