Over the past few days, there have been several moments when we held our collective breath as a nation, deeply shaken by the apparent fragility of our republic and of life itself. We’ve seen the worst of humanity in the senseless killings and violence in communities, and in the wanton destruction of commercial centres and properties that have cost people their businesses and jobs. In some instances, we’ve been let down by those we considered to be leaders. But in it all, we’ve also seen the best of humanity, and there have been moments of pride, of immeasurable humanity and human solidarity. One such moment played itself out in the Durban CBD two days ago, when a desperate mother, wanting to save her child’s life from a raging building fire, ended up having to toss the child from a balcony, hoping a group of strangers on the street below would catch the child. That dramatic moment, caught on video by a BBC crew. The child’s mother Naledi Manyoni speaks more on this.
