We tend to focus on the negative, especially when things go wrong.

Nevertheless, I would like to share two positive experiences my mother (a white woman in her 80s) recently experienced. Both happened while driving.

In the first one, her car broke down on the highway. She was able to pull over on to the side of the road. There was a black man parked nearby in a bakkie. He brought out some tools and was able to quickly repair her car. Fortunately, he also had a bucket of water in the back, which was needed to refill the radiator.

In the second incident, she got lost while driving in an unfamiliar place. Again, an unknown African man helped out. He went out of his way to escort her back to where she needed to go. She would like to offer thanks to both of them for their kindness.

Although there is much talk about racial tensions, most black and white people work and interact with each other in a relaxed and friendly way.

There is a lot of goodwill in this great land. The South African people are known for their warmth and friendliness. Overseas visitors often comment favourably about this.

Martin Zagnoev

Sunningdale Ridge