After losing his phone during a busy morning in a packed Durban courtroom, a stranger’s act of honesty and humanity reminded journalist Dasen Thathiah of the quiet good that still exists in the world.
Durban, South Africa (17 August 2026) – In what was a typical busy morning of court reporting for seasoned Durban journalist Dasen Thathiah, he never could have anticipated the moment of humanity he would experience in the midst of all the chaos.
The moment came after shuffling between seats during a series of back-to-back cases in the packed courtroom. When the case he was there to cover started, Dasen relocated to a seat closer to the front.
Unknowingly, he left his phone behind on his previous seat – a mishap he only realised more than 15 to 20 minutes later as he was about to leave.
“My heart sank,” he shared in a recent post.
As anyone who has lost a phone knows, the sudden realisation brings instant panic. The kind that has you helplessly rifle through empty pockets and bags, frantically retrace your steps, and feel your world come to an abrupt, heart-dropping halt.
With his mind racing, Dasen frantically looked around. On the benches, under them, on the floor.
“I asked everyone around me. There was no sign of it. As I rushed out of the courtroom, a woman tapped me on the shoulder.”
As he turned to see who was trying to get his attention, Dasen found a woman holding the phone he’d been searching high and low for!
He shared that she had waited patiently just to find him and hand it back – a gesture of humanity that moved Dasen deeply.
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Thankfully, however, while speaking to a lawyer about what had just happened, Dasen encountered the same woman who’d helped him again. Surprisingly, she also happened to be the sister of one of the accused in the case Dasen was reporting on.
They took a photo together, which has since been shared online, with a grateful Dasen publicly thanking her for saving him a world of trouble when she truly didn’t have to.
“Anyone who has ever lost a phone will understand the immense gratitude I feel. Kindness lives,” Dasen so beautifully shared.
Sources: Dasen Thathiah
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