Umhlengikazi uPetronella Benjamin wayaziwa njengo “Aunty Nellie” kubo bonke ozakwabo kanye neziguli zakhe e-Cape Town Reproductive Clinic e-Golden Acre.
Njengomsebenzi wokuqala wezempilo oshone ngoMbasa ephethwe yi-Covid-19, igama lomhlengikazi waseNtshonalanga yeKapa njengamanje selaziwa ezweni lonke.
Okubuhlungu kakhulu ukuthi lo mhlengikazi oneminyaka engama-62 unqotshwe igciwane le-Covid kusasele usuku olulodwa nje ngaphambi kokuthi athathe umhlalaphansi, mhla zingama-29 kuMbasa.
Ngesikathi ubhubhane lomhlaba luhlasela iNingizimu Afrika ngoNdasa, uBenjamin wabanjwa umkhuhlane kanye ne-bronchitis. Kodwa ngesikhathi imiphumela yokuhlolwa kwakhe i-Covid-19 ithi akanalo igciwane, wabuyela emsebenzini ngemuva kwamasonto amabili eluleme.
Indodana yakhe uMarvin Benjamin uthe, umndeni wamncenga ukuthi angabuyeli emsebenzini.
“Samtshela ukuthi angayi emsebenzini kodwa kunalokho ahlale ekhaya ngoba wayesezothatha umhlalaphansi,” etshela abakwa-eNCA ngaleso sikhathi. “Wasitshela ukuthi ufuna ukuvalelisa kwiziguli zakhe nakubalingani bakhe … nokuthi umsebenzi wakhe awuphelile. Yilokho asitshela khona, ukuthi kumele aqedele umsebenzi wakhe ngendlela efanele.”
Ubuqhawe buka-anti Nellie nokuzinikela kwakhe impilo yakhe yonke ekunakekeleni abantu yingakho simkhethe njengophawu lwabo bonke abasebenzi bezempilo abanesibindi ababeka izimpilo zabo engcupheni benzela thina.
Njengoba indodana yakhe isho: “Ngemuva kokushona kwakhe, abantu abaningi basithinta basitshela ukuthi empeleni bebeza kuye hhayi ukuzokwelashwa kuphela, ngoba umama wayevame ukusebenza edolobheni emtholampilo wokuhlela umndeni, kodwa umama wayehlala ebathandazela abantu, abakhuthaze futhi abeluleke.”