‘He Deserves Dignity’: Elderly KZN Man Found Covered in Faeces Rescued From Roadside
- A group of KwaZulu-Natal women found a 72-year-old wheelchair-bound man in a desperate condition outside Kingsburgh Mall
- The elderly man was allegedly brought from Durban and used to beg on the roadside before The Elders Voice KZN received messages about his situation
- The women returned with supplies and volunteers to restore his dignity before arranging transport to hospital
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KWAZULU- NATAL - A 72-year-old wheelchair-bound man found in a critical condition near Kingsburgh Mall, KwaZulu-Natal, has been taken to hospital after a group of local women refused to walk away.
The Elders Voice KZN, a community organisation, received messages last week about a couple sleeping outside the mall.
Volunteers rescue elderly man found in shocking condition
When volunteers went to assess the situation, what they found was far worse than anticipated. The elderly man was covered in his own waste, had open wounds requiring medical attention, and was completely exposed on the roadside. He was reportedly brought from Durban and placed there to beg.
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Rather than waiting for someone else to act, the group returned with clean blankets, a pillow, clothing, nappies, soap, face cloths, sanitiser, water, a bucket and additional supplies. Luyande Meyer and Alta from Heart of Toti then bathed the man, treated his wounds and dressed him in fresh clothing.
The Elders Voice KZN said that regardless of the circumstances that led him there, he deserved to be treated with dignity.
"He is somebody's uncle, somebody's father, somebody's human being," the organisation said.
Ambulance arranged after long wait
The group initially waited for a state ambulance to arrive, but as the night grew darker and temperatures dropped, it became clear they could not keep waiting. Konrad from Faithmed stepped in and arranged a private ambulance, which transported the man safely to Prince Mshiyeni Hospital.
The group was careful to note that the intervention was not a solution to homelessness as a whole. They acknowledged that such situations are often tangled up in family breakdowns, addiction, personal hardship and gaps in social support systems. Even so, they said the most urgent task was simply getting one person the help he needed.
"Sometimes it takes a village," the organisation said.
Two elderly men rescued from abusive caregivers
Briefly News reported that two elderly brothers have been rescued from what advocacy organisation The Elders Voice KZN described as a situation of severe neglect and financial exploitation in Malengezi, south of Durban, after an anonymous tip-off prompted an emergency intervention. The rescue team, made up of Gladiator Investigations and Halfway 4x4, found one of the brothers confined to a wheelchair inside a shack perched on a steep embankment in an informal settlement. They carried the man down the rocky terrain after arriving without the police, which had been requested but was delayed.
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Source: Briefly News
