A Good Samaritan stopped to help a fellow South African who had broken down on the side of the highway, and then proceeded to follow her for over 20 kilometres… to make sure she was safe!
Johannesburg, South Africa – Lameez Patel was experiencing an incredibly tough week that seemed to go from bad to worse… but that was only until a stranger named Thabo Tsoari found her in tears on the side of the highway with a broken down car.
Patel, a single mom from Lenasia, ended off her week with her car breaking down and then matters just got worse from there on.
“I honestly don’t know what’s becoming of the society we live in. My car broke down towards the end of April on a Wednesday night, so I had someone come have a look at it to see why the car wouldn’t start (the very next day – Thursday), and I was told to replace the spark plugs.”
Grateful that it was only a minor issue, Patel scrambled to get the money together to get her vehicle working again. The single mom is a Dance Instructor and heavily depends on her car to get to the different venues where she teaches.
“This is my only source of income, I depend on my car to get me to the different venues where I teach, so I can feed, clothe my kids and put a roof over our heads.”
Just three days after her car had broken down it was also broken in to. Patel had been waiting for the mechanic to replace the sparkplugs, but that meant that the vehicle had been sitting in the same place for three nights which made it a target for crime.
The battery was forcefully removed, and various wires and cabling in the engine were cut and clipped off.
Almost a week later, a Mechanic came and found the real problem (not the spark plugs). Patel’s car has since been fixed, almost R7,500 later including the mechanic’s labour, Engineer’s labour and other spares. It was a hard hit for the single mom, but she was thankful to have her car back on the road.
Just two weeks later and Patel found herself alone stuck on a highway, with a broken down car, crying from frustration and the feeling of helplessness.
“Tonight, after teaching my class, driving on the highway, my battery died, causing me to skip over 2x lanes in front of a truck to safety. No power, no hazards, no lights. It’s as though God’s protective hand pushed my car out of harm’s way.
So, I’m walking on the highway trying to – hesitantly – flag down cars and not one car stops. I tried stopping a SAPS and a JMPD van because I felt really safe to do so, to no avail, they just sped right past me.”
After some time, with the single mom in tears busy pacing up and down trying to get someone to help her, a stranger stopped alongside her car.
“I was so overjoyed I could hardly speak.”
Tsoari, an employee at One Life Insurance saw Patel and decided to stop immediately. He boosted the battery, and they went their separate ways… until her car stopped a couple of kilometres down the road again.
Tsoari was worried about Patel and happened to call her at the same time, to check up on how she was doing and to find out if she had reached home safely.
“I said no but told him that I was trying to get someone to assist me. I called several people I know in the area, but there was just no answer.”
With just 1% of her cellphone battery left, she decided to call the Good Samaritan again to see if perhaps he could jump-start her car one more time. It was her last hope.
Tsoari didn’t hesitate for a second. He drove all the way from Mondeor to Eldorado Park where Patel was stuck again. He then offered to follow the single mom for over 20 kilometres to her house, stopping to pick up her kids and giving the battery a little boost now and then.
The Good Samaritan then left, wanting nothing in return.
He was just thankful that he was there and able to help a South African in need, but Patel wants the world to know about her story and how a guardian angel has restored her faith in our country!
“Words escape me; I cannot thank you enough for bringing my kids and me to safety. The world needs more people like you.
Thabo Tsoari – you basically risked your life in this crime-ridden country of ours, by stopping to help a total stranger… without hesitation. You displayed the true qualities of a Guardian Angel. I pray that God continues to be a huge blessing in the lives of you and your family, the same way you were a blessing to my family and me tonight.”
by 
You are a true gentleman. May God bless you abundantly