‘I was murdered but came back to serve’- Theewaterskloof councillor
Cape Town - One night, former nurse, Denzil Jacobs’ life took a turn for the worse when he was woken up by an unknown men holding a garden fork to his neck.
That night would change his life forever, leading him to serve others.
Jacobs was left in a pool of blood forming underneath his suddenly paralysed body.
But his passion to help people never left him.
Through his struggles of recovery since 2013, his career as a nurse ended as he couldn't walk or use his hands.
He became aware of the challenges faced by the people living with disabilities.
He is now the first physically disabled ward (11) councillor at Theewaterskloof Local Municipality.
“I said Lord use me, abuse me, do whatever you can to make me the voice for these people,“ he said.
“I thought to myself if it was so hard to code and understand the pettiness while I was once able, how difficult it must have been for someone who never experienced that life.
“I started looking for organisations and getting involved with programmes and counselling disabled people.
“It wasn't easy but it was what I asked from God.”
Jacobs is an example of not giving up and continues to uplift the disabled in his ward.
“Today I am at the council working for the people and for the very first time, we hosted a sport day for the disabled in the (the area),“ he said proudly.
“We are planning on doing a survey on the adult disabled persons in (the area) and the Overberg region as I would like to propose having a home to accommodate those who, just like me have no one to look after if anything happens to my aunt.”
He took to the office in 2021 and managed to make a difference by giving a voice and creating opportunities for the disabled community.
His vision is to build a safe haven and hub for people with disabilities where they can achieve life skills to be their own entrepreneur and provide physiotherapy and social support.
“I also get to work across the entire Theewaterskloof region so the reach of this message is broader,“ he said.
“Now more than ever people are not only hearing about disability, they see it. We have a voice and we matter.
“We can no longer accept that people who do not live with disability speak for us and know what is best for us.
“The public still needs to be more educated on the disability spectrum.”
Joan Africa runs the Lerato Disabled Home in Grabouw.
She said things in the region started to change for the better since Jacobs came to power.
“Career and job creation are key but they do not outweigh the need for suitable infrastructure,“ she said.
Sammy Fredericks, the Chief Whip at the municipality, said Jacob's story was inspirational.
He commended Jacobs for the impact he has made within the municipality and in the society to advocate for disabled persons. He said Jacobs is no different from the rest of the councillors, saying he's always disciplined and upheld by the council's values and rules.