Siboniso’s Road to Recovery: A Bazley Community Story

Sometimes the best measure of a community is what happens when one of its own needs help.

It is just over a year since Siboniso Ngubo’s life changed following a serious accident in mid-September 2025. At the time, he faced a long and uncertain road to recovery, and his family needed support to help him through the difficult months ahead.

Today, we are delighted to share some very good news: Siboniso is back home in Bazley with his mom, Dorris, and is now walking unassisted.

He still has limited strength in his legs and continues to experience mobility issues with his hands, so his rehabilitation journey is far from over. But when we look back at where he was a year ago, the progress he has made is truly wonderful to see.

A community that stepped up

When the B.R.A. first appealed for help, the response from the Bazley community was immediate and incredibly generous.

A dedicated fund was established by the B.R.A. to ensure that contributions could be managed responsibly and used to support Siboniso during his recovery. Homeowners and members of our wider community rallied behind the appeal, with every contribution – large or small – helping to ease some of the financial pressure on Siboniso and his family.

We would also like to extend a very special thank you to Irene Holland and her family, whose kindness has provided Siboniso with a place to stay on their property here in Bazley with his mom Dorris.

It is gestures such as these – financial contributions, practical assistance, time and simply being there when somebody needs help – that remind us what being part of a community really means.

To everyone who has contributed to Siboniso’s fund or supported him and Dorris in any way, thank you. You have all played a part in his journey.

And then there is Brenda…

There is one person whose contribution to Siboniso’s journey deserves very special mention: B.R.A. Secretary Brenda Angus.

Brenda has been instrumental from the very beginning, acting as the link between the B.R.A. and Dorris and helping to establish and coordinate the support fund.

But her involvement has gone far beyond that.

Brenda has taken Siboniso for his monthly physiotherapy and occupational therapy appointments and has accompanied Siboniso and Dorris on trips to Home Affairs and SASSA as they worked through the process of organising his disability grant.

She has been there through some of the most difficult moments – and some of the happiest.

As Brenda says:

“Dorris and I have shed many sad tears, but also tears of happiness when he started to get some mobility back in his legs. He should be proud of himself for how he has persevered and done all the exercises and more.”

Much of what Brenda has done has happened quietly and without fuss – simply because somebody needed help and she was there to give it.

The next step – an opportunity to work again

Recovery isn’t only about medical appointments and rehabilitation. It is also about rebuilding independence, confidence and a sense of purpose.

With that in mind, the B.R.A. has enlisted Siboniso’s help at the Shangrila nursery, where once or twice a month he will assist with potting plants and other suitable tasks.

It may seem like a small step, but for Siboniso it represents something much bigger: an opportunity to work again.

After everything he has been through, seeing him walking independently and beginning to take these steps back into working life is something worth celebrating.

Siboniso still has challenges to overcome, and his journey is by no means over. But just over a year after an accident that changed his life, we think it is important to stop for a moment and celebrate just how far he has come.

His story is also a story about Bazley – about neighbours helping neighbours, a community contributing what it can, a family opening its property to someone who needs a home, and people like Brenda quietly giving their time and energy to help another person rebuild his life.

And, of course, it is a story about Siboniso himself – his determination, perseverance and willingness to keep doing the hard work required to regain his independence.

Siboniso, you have come a very long way. Keep going – we are all rooting for you.

And to everyone who has played a part in getting him this far, thank you.

This is community at its very best.