Vagrants plead for a second chance

The number of vagrants living on Yeoville’s streets is alarming.

Rockey Street has become a home to a number of vagrants.

The EXPRESS interviewed two men who have been living on the streets of Yeoville.

32-year-old Tebogo Nkadimeng, from Rockville in Soweto, came to Yeoville in search of a better life for himself and his child.

A tearful Tebogo said street life is difficult and he cannot return home empty-handed.

“My father died and I’m left with my mother. I also have a child. I needed to make a living and decided crime will only get me into trouble. I left home because I saw that I cannot keep on depending on my mother to care for me. I came here, to Yeoville, hoping to find a better life but things did not go according to my plans.

“Now I’m living on the streets. I’m embarrassed to go back home because I have nothing to offer my family for a man of my age. I wish I could go home this December, especially on my birthday, but I have nothing to give my family,” said Tebogo.

He said people harass them because they live on the street.

“We are harassed as some people open the trash bins and they do not clean up after they are done. It’s not all of us who tear up the plastic bags.

“This is our life. We recycle to get something to eat and support ourselves,” said Tebogo.

He started living on the streets five years ago and has been unable to find permanent work.

He misses home and his family, but he believes his family will not understand his way of living.

“I did not choose this life but when things became difficult here in the city, I had two options – turn to crime or find another way to survive. I found myself joining the guys who do recycling and also started collecting and following them around to where they drop the stuff off. I have been living off recycling ever since,” said Tebogo.

Tebogo said the money they make on collecting trash is not enough and is only enough to buy food.

“I’m good with my hands and would love to do carpentry as I’m good at that, but because I live on the street, no one gives us the opportunity to show our skills. I’m willing to work if only someone can offer that opportunity,” said Tebogo.

Sthembiso Nyoni has been living on the streets for six years.

He left home because of a disagreement between him and his parents, which led to him leaving the Eastern Cape and moving to Johannesburg to look for work.

Sthembiso is ill and due to his way of living, he is unable to visit the clinic.

“I cannot go as I have to wake up and start collecting before the trash is collected in order to have something to eat at the end of the day. If we go to the clinic we are not treated well because we don’t bath and because of the smell.

“People are rude to us and we end up not getting any assistance,” said Sthembiso.

“We are not safe on the street because we just find a spot and if it looks safe, that is our bed for the night. But we are not safe. We are always scared of what could happen to us,” said Sthembiso.

A resident of Yeoville for more than 15 years, Mr Sizwe Sizani said the situation of vagrants in Yeoville calls for government to take action.

“I have been living in Yeoville for years. What is happening right now is shocking. These young people should be in school but they are doing recycling because some of them were introduced to drugs and ended up living on the streets. The drug dealers in Yeoville supply the vagrants and now they are slaves to this life. Hopefully something will be done soon,” said Mr Sizani.