Gogo longing to see the sun again
Going outside and feeling the sun on her skin is like a dream to gogo Tholwaphi Zulu from Langaville Extension 10.
She suffered a stroke in August last year and since then, Zulu has been unable to go outside her two roomed shack.
To make her life even more miserable, she suffers from sugar diabetes and lost her left leg after it had to be amputated to avoid more damage that might affect other parts of the body.
The only part of her body which still works properly is her left arm and the movement of her head is what shows that Zulu is still alive.
She lives with her 22-year-old daughter, Nobuhle Jali and two grandchildren.
Her condition forced her daughter to give up her dream of continuing her studies after completing matric.
Despite barely being an adult herself, Nobuhle now has the responsibility of taking care of her mother, including changing her diapers and ensuring that the mattress laid on the floor that she sits and sleeps on is always clean and comfortable.
Added to this, the state of the roads in that area is bad that gogo Zulu has to hire special transport to take her to a nearby clinic or hospital.
According to Nobuhle, her mother’s life is not safe, not even inside her shack.
She explained that not long ago, her mother was nearly bitten by a snake which they believed came from the long grass next to her shack.
“While she was asleep on her mattress the snake entered the shack and we had to call the neighbours to rescue her from a poisonous creature,” said Nobuhle sadly.
She said it is her dream to see her mother getting a better place to live where there will be easy access to public transport and better living conditions.
