Meet the domestic worker of the month

His employer, Anne Potgieter, of Farrarmere, earned the prize for Langton with the motivation she wrote.

Each month, until January, counts as a round, after which the grand finale will follow.

Employers can enter their domestic workers for October’s competition by sending a 100-word motivation on why they deserve to win to Brigitte Thysse, via email at brigitte@hirschs.co.za.

The monthly winners will each receive a R500 Hirsch’s voucher, a hamper from Unilever and a Hirsch’s certificate.

They will also go through to the final round, in which they stand a chance to win a prize worth R5 000 and a bed and base set.

Entries for this month will close on November 18.

Hirsch’s Boksburg also hosts a monthly educational domestic workers’ course for workers within the East Rand community.

The next course will be held on November 20, from 10am to 11.30am.

For further information, call Thysse, Hirsch’s public relations officer, on 011 823 0000.

Anne Potgieter’s motivation, which earned Langton Tshuma his win:

What a wonderful idea! Thank you.

We have been living in Benoni for just under four years (although I grew up here).

All this time we have been blessed with the most amazing man who started as a painter before we moved in and needed to get the house ready for occupation.

He then spent one day a week here – gardening, mopping verandahs, cleaning windows – whatever needed to be done, he was there.

One day a week became two, then three, and eventually became fulltime.

Langton Tshuma is now a part of this family and we cannot survive without him.

My parents live on the property and a while back, when a friend had begged to have Langton spend Thursdays in her garden, Mom eventually said they couldn’t do without him so please could we have him back.

Langton manages a very large garden and controls a reasonably large vegetable garden. We have our own fresh lettuce, cabbage, spinach, onions, various herbs and other seasonal vegetables. He has grown the most amazing potatoes on our sidewalk! This area is fenced off, but the in the rest of the garden Langton competes with two large dogs, who love to dig.

He also cleans up in the kitchen and mops wooden and tiled floors. He changes lightbulbs, applies roof sealer, repairs tables, doors and anything else a handyman would be needed for! He paints, scrubs, hangs washing, replaces fencing and cleans the swimming pool.

He has a learner’s licence and next week will have his first attempt at his driver’s licence, which we are praying he will pass, as we desperately need this.

He will then fetch my daughter from school each day and transport my parents to shops and other appointments; currently a major problem as my husband and I both work long hours.

This will be a blessing to us all.

He has often been the only one at home when my daughter comes home from school – ensuring she is safe and not alone.

When we go away Langton stays in our house to care for the dogs and ensure my parents are okay.

He has been on hand to physically move Dad from his bed to his chair and back again, when he was too ill to walk.

When our dog was admitted to the animal hospital earlier this year, Langton walked there each day to visit and encourage her to eat.

Langton’s salary goes mainly to support his family, most of whom he sees once a year, when he goes home for three weeks.

His wife visits a couple of times during the year and is always a welcome visitor in our home.

Langton supports his wife and their three children, his ageing mother, an orphaned niece who became part of their family on the death of her mother, and a nephew his mother was caring for.

Langton (Luxmore) Tshuma is a star! We are so blessed to have him in our lives and we hope that he will be with us for years to come.

I don’t believe that anyone is more deserving of the title of Domestic Worker of the Century!