Pablo finds his forever home
|Published
Durban - South Africa’s most famous blue couch, Pablo, has found his forever home.
The leather sofa which captured the hearts and imagination of South Africans during last July’s deadly riots, goes into retirement this week after almost a year of touring and selfie taking with fans in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
In a case of all’s well that ends well, Pablo became a sign of hope during the insurrection which engulfed KwaZulu-Natal and spilled over into Gauteng, when people started Pablo spotting after he was stolen.
The luxury L-sectional, 5-seater couch valued at R70 000, gained prominence when marauding mobs emptied and then burnt his home at Leather Gallery in Value Centre Springfield Park.
While thousands of people were seen running down streets with fridges, toilet paper, mattresses and anything else they could get their hands on, someone with a penchant for comfort took a liking to Pablo and decided to nationalise him.
Nikita Reddy, a copywriter at Leather Gallery said they had no idea what happened to Pablo until he emerged on social media platforms.
“Pablo did increase sales a bit. There was a lot of attention on Pablo following the looting,” she said.
One of the most iconic images at the time was when Pablo was captured in a picture outside a shack in the Clare Estate area, with two people chatting in comfort on the genuine leather covered sofa with 35% density foam.
The story doing the rounds was that he was supposed to grace someone’s lounge in the informal settlement but his rather large girth meant that he couldn't get through the shack’s doorway.
And then twitter and Facebook fanatics started Pablo spotting by posting pictures whenever they caught sight of him, bringing comic relief during a period of unfolding tragedy.
Reddy said: “We know that as South Africans we tend to lean towards humour to be able to handle and solve our worst and most traumatic situations.
“As Leather Gallery we are actually glad that Pablo was able to bring about that bit of humour in such a traumatic time.”
She said Pablo was returned to Leather Gallery after they got a call from the police who said they had taken custody of the couch which could be fetched and taken home.
Reddy said by then Pablo had become so well known that when his owners arrived at the police station, hardened members of the police got excited and said: “Oh it's Pablo's mum. Pablo's mum has come to fetch him.”
She said in the months that followed the unrest, people still kept track of him and Pablo went on a tour of their various stores where members of the public flocked to take pictures of themselves with him.
Reddy said he would make one last public appearance this week and then go into retirement.
“He is going to his forever home after this, he has done enough and he has been through enough.”
That “forever home” is a shelter for abused girls who also suffered when their usual suppliers and donors were affected in the riots.
“We are hoping that by donating the couch others will also open their hearts and dig into their pockets to assist the home,” Reddy said.
According to the Leather Gallery’s website: “The unique, modern design of the San Pablo Corner Sofa is the ultimate blend of comfort and style, with elegantly sloped armrests and supportive headrests.”
However, the good news is that Pablo is not completely lost to fans as there’s still a part of him missing and so the Pablo spotting can continue.
“It’s just an armrest that's missing so it's probably attached to a completely different couch right now for all we know,” said Reddy.
The Independent on Saturday