Siblings choose the streets to escape bullying, bad friends
Although the divorce affected them, it was not the only reason why they left home and took to the streets.
As the winter chill engulfs Johannesburg and with Youth Month drawing to an end, the EXPRESS spoke to some young people living as vagrants on the streets in the Joburg East area.
Siblings, Mncedisi and Thulani Mahlangu, sleep under a bridge along the N12 and also along the Jukskei River in Bruma.
Thulani begs at the intersections and Mncedisi is a windscreen washer.
Their parents divorced and their father received custody. The two said life changed afterwards.
“When we visited one parent, the other would complain and accuse us of not being loved,” they said.
According to the pair, their father took care of them the best way he could. They are quick to state that although the divorce affected them, it was not the only reason why they left home and took to the streets.
Mncedisi said bullying at school was the main reason he left school.
“I had a fight with my school friend. He ran away as we were fighting. I thought it was over only to find that after school he came back with his group of friends.
“They were looking for me. I had to run for my life. Sometimes the teachers had to hide me or take me home in their cars. I was terrified to go to school. It became so bad that I had to relocate,” said Mncedisi.
“Those guys meant business. They were hunting me. My family was struggling financially so I thought maybe I should go and look for work,” he said.
He started by sitting on the side of the road and asking for work. Eventually, he joined the windscreen washers.
During that time, his younger brother Thulani who had already left school, had met up with him on the streets.
“I had the wrong group of friends. It started with bunking school to watch school friends gambling with the dice. I left school and joined a group of friends and we danced at the intersections for money,” he said.
Both advised youngsters to stay in school.
“It’s not easy here. The police arrest you for interfering with the traffic. Some motorists abuse you. The nights are cold and you cannot do anything about it, except to wait for the sun to rise and warm you up,” said Thulani.
Mncedisi urged bullies to stop their behaviour.
“Stop bullying other children at school. If I was not bullied, I would not be here. Now I do not have a future. Let other children attend school. Do not destroy their future by being a bully,” he said
