Thread by @khayadlanga

My Uber driver who picked me up from the Airport in Durban stopped at the garage to fill up. He poured R80 worth of gas. Just before he started his car, I told him I wanted to fill his tank for him.
Him: How much?
Me: However much it costs.
Him: Are you sure?
Me: Yes.

He called the petrol attendant and asked him to fill the car. The attendant reminds him that he just filled for R80. Then he says, almost shyly, “Yigcwalise,” as if he was unsure what to say. “Ubhuti uzokhokha” or what. The is filled up and there is silence and I am on my phone.

I see that he is chocking up and he starts to cry. Now I am filling awkward and I say it’s ok. He makes a joke, “Namhlanje izokhohlela lomonto, zange igcwale. Ayiqhelanaga. Iyasinda namhlanje.” We both laugh. The awkward moment passes.

Then he tells me that he was about to ask me if I could pay cash instead of by card because he absolutely had no money. At some point, he parked his car and started asking people for money because he didn’t have enough gas. He had no luck, no one had money to give him.

His last trip, someone paid cash, that’s why he had a R100, got gas for R80 and kept the R20. He is chocking up while telling me this. He started driving Uber last week. The owner of the car expects R3000 every week and he can keep whatever he makes thereafter.

Last week, he made R3200. Meaning his wages for the whole week were R200. Which means he made just over R27 a day last week. Now I was broken. Made me realize how much many of these Uber drivers are struggling and we don’t know the half of it.

I asked him for his number and eWalleted him some money. The point I want to drive across is that let’s do what we can if we are able to for these Uber drivers because some of them are going through the most.

Heartbreaking 💔

*feeling