A Hero called Ayakha

As a Durbanite myself, I was deeply inspired by Ayakha Godlwana’s story.

On 3 September, flames tore through Delfi Greek Taverna in Durban. Inside, 74-year-old Doddy Teranes was trapped. Ayakha was working nearby when he heard someone was still inside, so he went in.

The smoke was so thick he could barely see and he was forced back out, but he tried again. And again. On his third or fourth attempt, he used a hosepipe to help make his way through the smoke. He kept going until he found Doddy and got her out alive.

Then, after risking his own life to save someone else, Ayakha simply went back to work.

At first, Durban didn’t even know his name. He was an unnamed hero who had run into a burning building and saved a life. So people started looking for him, and eventually we found him: Ayakha Go...