Venita Engelbrecht surprises a motorist. (Photo: Provided)
With the recent fuel price increases causing challenges for many South Africans, the Pretoria community radio station GROOTfm 90.5 and the breakfast program The BIG Breakfast Wednesday – on Fool’s Day – launched its April FUEL initiative.
“Instead of jokes, the focus shifted to kindness, generosity and a real impact,” says Sonet Stofberg, project manager at GROOTfm.
Viewers of The BIG Breakfast were encouraged on Tuesday to share their stories of how they had been stranded without fuel.
Manie Ferreira said that as a student he ran out of fuel with three friends, just a block from their residence. One friend went to collect his car, after which two men sat on either side of this car’s hood, with their feet against Manie’s car’s trunk, and so they pushed the car to the residence.
Gerrie Agenbag was again on a motorcycle adventure to admire the stars in the Sutherland area. With everyone still in awe of what they were experiencing, no one realized the fuel was running low.
Charonike Nel and Venita Engelbrecht from GROOTfm with the petrol jockeys. (Photo: Provided)
They planned to fill up at Matjiesfontein, only to find that the town was out of fuel. At 40 km/h they sped towards Laingsburg, where they stopped at the first gas station completely out of fuel.
The gas station attendants just laughed, and Gerrie’s motorbike has never been so full!
Based on this kind of feedback, an internal panel together selected four viewers to receive fuel aid of R1 000 each. Everyone was surprised with a WhatsApp video, live on the program, with this good news.
April FUEL kicked off with the first surprise just after 06:00 on Wednesday. GROOTfm 90.5’s radio team gathered at the TotalEnergies Fuel Station in Waverley, where motorists stopped to fill in fuel with what they could afford – anything from R100 to R300.
For many, that small amount was all their budget allowed. Then the surprise unfolded.
Announcers Venita Engelbrecht and Charonike Nel greeted motorists with unexpected news: “The R100 fuel is sold out… but we fill your tank!”
In the blink of an eye, R100 turned into R900. What followed were powerful moments of emotion and tears of joy flowed freely.
One aunt Annemarie borrowed R100 from a friend, so that she could deliver bread to a care center in Eersterust. She couldn’t believe it when the team returned the R100 and filled her fuel tank.
(Photo: Provided)
She responded with: “No, I can’t afford it. My Sassa money doesn’t pay until tomorrow.”
But thanks to the gift, her car hasn’t been so full for a long time.
Thulani couldn’t stop staring at the fuel pump, after originally asking for only R100 worth of fuel in his 55 l tank.
Finally, 19 motorists’ tanks were filled – more than R16 000 worth of fuel.
“We experienced first hand how He makes the buns and fish more. Since it is also currently celebrating the build-up to the greatest moment of victory in our faith history – where God the Father conquered death for our salvation – this gesture only made sense.
“To share his goodness and good news on the platforms he has entrusted to us,” says Stofberg about this initiative so shortly before Easter.
“May each of us be constantly so aware of the Lord’s good news, that we are continuously part of someone else’s good news!”
