Judge recounts his sponsor’s act of kindness
MORE than 40 years ago, an Ixopo wholesaler made a deal with a young pupil to provide groceries for the student’s family so he would have an opportunity to further his education.
But when the pupil came to make a repayment after graduating from university, the wholesaler refused to take the repayment, asking only that the act of kindness be passed on.
The story of wholesaler Suleman “Solly” Bux, who helped him, was recounted by Constitutional Court Justice Raymond Zondo, who was appointed the deputy chief justice, during his JSC interview for the post earlier this year.
In the interview, Justice Zondo is close to tears as he describes the act of kindness.
But for the generous wholesaler, what he had done for Justice Zondo was not out of the ordinary.
Bux, now, 75, who spoke to The Mercury yesterday, said he did not think much of the gesture at the time.
“He (Zondo) was a student at St Mary’s Seminary, a very good school, so I knew he was good and disciplined.
“He talked about going away to study, but also talked about his responsibilities to his family.”
Bux said it was a “small matter” to help with groceries.
“It was about R40 every month, and it covered basics like maize meal, oil and salt.”
He said he had hoped Zondo would complete his studies with “a clear mind”. “Maybe the responsibility of knowing he had to pay me back would have motivated him in some way. I don’t know.”
Asked why he refused to allow Zondo to repay him, he said: “It is far better to help someone else. I didn’t do it to be praised for it, nor did I want to advertise it. All this is very overwhelming, but I just tried to do what was right.”
In recounting the story, Justice Zondo said: “In 1977, after getting a matric exemption, I went to Ixopo and told him (Bux) my story, that I wanted to go to university but I had a responsibility to take care of my mother and siblings.”
His mother was unemployed at the time, and the expectation of the community was that after matriculating he would find a job and take care of the family.
But he was eager to study and become a lawyer.
He said: “I asked (Bux) for a loan that I could pay him back for once I’d qualified.”
Bux, he said, did not ask him many questions and told him that he would not give him money but instead would provide groceries.
Bux gave him a voucher to give his mother, who could not believe the generosity.
“He told me to finish my degree, come back and then we would talk about repayment.”
Three years later, Zondo went back to Bux’s shop.
“(Bux) just said: ‘Don’t worry: just do for others what I’ve done for you.’ And, in my small way, I still try to do that.”
Bux is expected to meet with Zondo soon but stressed that this would be done in private.
“We are simple people. We don’t want to make an issue of it. I just want to tell him how proud I am of him.”