Share

‘Heroic act’ could have been fatal

MyFin24 is a user-generated section of Fin24.com. The stories here come from users.
Fin24 user Gideon Phokane shares his Heritage Month celebratory story in memory of his late father Samuel Phokane:


WHEN I was still a little boy in the 1980s, I went to a store called OTK in Marble Hall with my dad.

There were two cash registers in that store – one was marked "Net Swartes" and the other "Net Blankes, Geen Swartes".

I couldn't read at that time, so I queued in the whites-only cash register line.

Black people who saw me were scared and the white people couldn't believe their eyes, but the white cashier let me move to the front of the queue to pay for my sweets and go find my dad.
 
Even though this is part of our heritage, it is one that won’t be missed by many people but for me that particular day is a memory I will cherish forever, more so because my dad and other people in the store thought my actions were those of a hero.

But as I grew up, I realised what a fatal position I could have put my father and myself in back in those days.
 
Every now and then I visit Marble Hall. The last time I went to the same OTK store was in 2011 to fill up a gas cylinder.

I have found there is a great deal of tolerance among Blankes and Swartes, and there is no longer any form of segregation at the cash registers.

I am so happy that my children won’t have such stories to tell.

 - Fin24

Help Fin24 celebrate SA's rich business heritage this Heritage Month by sharing your stories and pictures. Send your views to editor@fin24.com and you could get published.

*Follow Fin24 on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.

 
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.2%
Platinum
910.50
+1.5%
Palladium
1,011.50
+1.0%
Gold
2,221.35
+1.2%
Silver
24.87
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders