Happy new year for German tourists as wallet unexpectedly returned
A 74-year-old German tourist had an unexpected happy new year when his wallet, left in a taxi, was returned the next day.
Rudolf Lieberum was holidaying in Cape Town with his wife and another German couple when they visited the Table Mountain cable way.
On their return to their city centre hotel, his wallet fell out of his pocket. When he realised his wallet was missing, he cancelled all his credit cards and thought he would not see it again.
But, in a surprising turn of events, the following day, December 31, the taxi driver arrived at the hotel and presented the wallet to his friend’s wife.
Speaking to ANA through a translator, Lieberum’s friend Dr Thomas Noecker, he said: “The taxi driver arrived while we were eating breakfast and recognised my wife. We had heard about all the crime in South Africa so we never expected to get our money back.”
Lieberum gave the R80 cash, untouched in the wallet, to the taxi driver, and would have given him more, but “it all happened so quickly”.
The two couples arrived in South Africa on December 27 and leave for Mauritius on a cruise liner on January 3.
Noecker said it was their first time in the country and they were amazed by the beauty of South Africa. Earlier on Saturday, they had tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel and said it was a fantastic experience.
Tour guide Karin Muecke, from Ocean View Tours, posted the good news story on a Facebook page for tour guides called “Guides Unite”.
She told ANA that she had been taking the two couples around the city, including the Winelands and Cape Point. She had heard this type of story before and said “there are still good people out there”.
“There are good Samaritans around.”
ANA
(File photo)