KINGSBURGH, KwaZulu‑Natal — A group of volunteers rushed to the aid of a 72‑year‑old man found in a wheelchair beside the road near Kingsburgh Mall after passers-by raised the alarm about his condition.
Immediate care on the pavement
Members of community organisations The Elders Voice KZN and Heart of Toti discovered the man in a distressed state, with visible wounds and covered in excrement. Concerned for his welfare, volunteers prioritised washing and dressing him before moving him to formal medical care.
Because night was falling and temperatures were dropping, those on the scene decided they could not wait indefinitely for state emergency services. They collected blankets, clothing, nappies, soap, face cloths, sanitiser, water and other basic supplies, and bathed and tended to the man’s wounds at the roadside so he would reach hospital in a more dignified condition.
“Regardless of how he had ended up there… he deserved dignity,”
The Elders Voice KZN said volunteers wanted the man to arrive at hospital clean and cared for, rather than as another neglected elderly person from the streets.
Ambulance arranged and hospital admission
After efforts to secure a state ambulance did not yield immediate results, a private emergency responder, Faithmed, stepped in. The rescuers said a Faithmed crew quickly arrived, loaded the man and transported him to Prince Mshiyeni Hospital for further treatment.
Allegations of exploitation
Volunteers who assessed the scene said the man appeared to have been brought from Durban and was allegedly being used to beg on the streets. Those details have been described by the community groups who intervened; no police or hospital statements about the circumstances were available at the time of reporting.
How the community responded
The response combined immediate practical care and attempts to secure formal medical assistance:
- Initial assessment and provision of clean clothing and bedding.
- Washing and wound care carried out at the roadside by volunteers.
- Co-ordination with private emergency medical services to transport the man to hospital.
Those involved emphasised that the man’s background and how he came to be on the roadside were secondary to the urgent need to restore his dignity and get him medical attention.
Local implications and unanswered questions
The incident raises several issues for local authorities and social services. Elder abuse, exploitation of vulnerable adults for begging, and the capacity of state emergency medical services to respond quickly are all implicated. Community organisations are often first on the scene in such cases, but long‑term solutions depend on coordination between social development departments, police and health facilities.
| Event | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Kingsburgh Mall roadside (near Durban) |
| Age | 72 years |
| Immediate responders | The Elders Voice KZN; Heart of Toti; Faithmed (ambulance) |
| Hospital | Prince Mshiyeni Hospital |
What residents can do
Community groups involved offered practical guidance implicitly demonstrated during the rescue: when you encounter a vulnerable person who needs help, call emergency services immediately, but also bring basic supplies—blankets, clean clothing, soap—if it is safe to do so. If you suspect exploitation or abuse, report the matter to SAPS so investigators can establish whether a crime has occurred.
Volunteers thanked local people who assisted on the day and urged anyone with information about the man’s circumstances to come forward to help authorities and social services piece together how he came to be on the roadside.
The Elders Voice KZN said it hoped the man would receive the medical attention he needed and called on the community and officials to work together to protect other vulnerable older residents.
