A panegyric for the honest taxi driver

It is often stated that honesty is the best policy, and recently Nico Sibolile exercised that as he returned a customer’s N$8 000 that was forgotten in his taxi.

Indeed, a selfless act that has to be cherished.

What made the story more emotional was the fact that the N$8 000 was meant to buy a coffin of the customer’s (Katrina Aboas) grandchild.

Just imagine how devastating and disheartening it could’ve been for the poor grandmother to lose a grandchild, and then the money meant for the grandchild’s farewell from earth. Nonetheless, the taxi driver should be praised for the heroic and honest act in that crucial moment.

A fable is told about an emperor who had no children, and needed to choose a successor.

Thousands of children from across the kingdom came to the palace, and they were surprised when the emperor examined that he was going to choose one of them. He gave them all a seed to plant in a pot, and tend it for a year at their homes.

When they would return in a year, the emperor would judge their efforts, and choose his successor. After a year, everybody returned their pots to the king with magnificent plants, except for one.

Despite maximum efforts, his seed wouldn’t just grow, and he became a laughing stock of the others. Nonetheless, he returned the pot with nothing in it.

After the king evaluated the pots, he told them that the seeds he gave them a year ago were boiled, and they were not able to grow.

The king was disappointed that he saw thousands of beautiful plants and only one barren pot, which was brought by the honest boy among others who were immoral.

Integrity and courage are more important values for leadership than proud displays, so he chose the boy with the barren pot to be his heir.

This is basically what Nico Sibolile has showcased.

Best of luck to him in his endeavours, and may we all learn from his honesty. It is not surprising that some benevolent

Namibians are giving him a token of gratitude for his honesty.

As Raphael Magana once put it: you will harvest distrust If you plant selfishness.

You will harvest loneliness If you plant pride.

You will harvest isolation If you plant greed. If you plant honesty, you will harvest trust.

If you plant humility, you will harvest friendship. If you plant forgiveness, you will harvest reconciliation.

If you plant patience, you will harvest understanding.

Indubitably, Sibolile has gained our trust for his honesty, selflessness and integrity in this modern world filled with immoralities.