“It Was God”: Durban Teacher Refuses a R50k Reward After Finding a Missing SAAF Pilot
- Lezé van der Walt, a teacher at Northlands Primary School, spotted missing helicopter pilot Slade Thomas hidden in bushes while driving her son to school
- Thomas, a former South African Air Force pilot, had disappeared over the weekend, prompting a widespread community search across Durban
- Van der Walt credited the discovery to divine intervention and refused the R50,000 reward offered by Thomas's family
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Source: Facebook
A Durban primary school teacher made a remarkable discovery on Monday, 7 September 2026, when she found a missing former South African Air Force helicopter pilot who had disappeared over the weekend.
Lezé van der Walt, who teaches at Northlands Primary School, was taking her five-year-old son to school when she decided to take a different route along Norrie Avenue. That small detour changed everything. She noticed Slade Thomas sitting partially concealed in bushes along the road and immediately raised the alarm.
Thomas had gone missing over the weekend, triggering a large-scale community search involving volunteers, emergency personnel, and private security teams. Family spokesperson Greg Parry confirmed that Thomas lives with severe memory loss, mental illness, and depression, which made his disappearance particularly urgent.
Teacher credits God, not luck
When Thomas's family offered Van der Walt a R50,000 reward for finding him, she turned it down. She said the discovery was not something she could take credit for personally, attributing it entirely to divine intervention.
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Private investigator Brad Nathanson noted that her gesture was not isolated. Several other volunteers and emergency responders who assisted in the search also declined financial rewards, a reflection of how the Durban community came together out of genuine concern rather than incentive.
Thomas's family expressed deep gratitude to everyone involved in the effort to bring him home safely.
Mzansi reacts to the teacher's generosity
South Africans were moved by Van der Walt's decision and shared their thoughts on a Facebook post:
@Nazreen Aziz Botha said:
"Use the money to hire a caregiver to keep him company and safe."
@Frank Williams wrote:
"Still give it to her. She's earned it."
@Julie van der Merwe shared:
"I would also not accept the money. You offer help to find another human. It comes from the heart. Not because of money."
@Wendy De Sousa Jones noted:
"She did it for the team...🫶🏼💚💛"
@Wendy Tait added:
"I'm sure the family can use the reward money to make the missing man's life a bit easier...❤️"
@Jeowan Basanth concluded:
"She's cultured. She knows that the reward didn't fit the situation. She would rather earn her dough diligently than just hit a luck. She's a legend."
Source: Facebook
More on missing persons and rescues
- Briefly News recently reported on a Limpopo teenager whose body was found in a lake days after a group of boys was seen chasing him on his way home from school.
- Riemvasmaak residents made a grim discovery hours after holding a mass prayer for an eight-year-old girl who vanished a year ago.
- A 20-year-old hiker spent a terrifying night stranded on a Table Mountain cliff before rescuers abseiled 200 metres down to reach him.
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Source: Briefly News
