Domestic worker prayed for lockdown to end, now she’s running out of food

With eight mouths to feed single-handedly, domestic worker Dolly Sindane has been left paralysed with distress by the extension of the Covid-19 lockdown by another two weeks.

Last month, the mother of three worked for only three weeks and received a paltry R3,225 of her R4,300 monthly salary, leaving her with even less to spend on basic essentials.

The 37-year-old HIV-positive single mother, originally from the impoverished Mpumalanga village of Marothobolong in the former KwaNdebele homeland, about 150km from Pretoria, rents a backroom in Mamelodi West for which she pays R1,500 a month to be closer to work and spends about R800 on transport to travel to the leafy suburbs of Pretoria East where she works.

She prayed hard for the lockdown not to be extended so she could at least salvage her two weeks’ salary this month. Her prayers went unanswered.

“When the president [Cyril Ramaphosa] made that announcement, my heart just sank into my stomach. I am heavily stressed, which is bad for my immune system because I am asthmatic and on anti-retroviral treatment,” Sindane said yesterday.

Since none of her four employers have registered her for the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), her situation is hopeless and it is just a matter of time before her family runs out of food.

Other than her children – aged 13, four and two – she has to provide for her parents, who lost their jobs five years ago, as well as her unemployed cousin, who has two children of her own.

Diepsloot residents queue to receive care packages of fresh produce and soap, 9 April 2020, north of Johannesburg, during the nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Picture: Michel Bega

Sindane said soon they will run out of prepaid electricity and have run out of money to buy water from private tanker owners as the village’s taps had been dry for months now.

“I have already surrendered to our fate. The reality is we are simply going to starve and there is nothing I can do about it. Only a miracle or Good Samaritan can save us now. I look at the children, my sickly mother and tears just stream down my face. I have never felt so helpless in my entire life,” she said.

Sindane is just one of millions of South Africans for whom the extended lockdown is a nightmare.

Kendra Hughes, a hair stylist in Johannesburg, said she believed the government did an amazing job by how fast they dealt with the situation and lockdown, despite the economic challenges the country already faced.

“Our president had to make the decision very fast to curb the virus. Though one thing that has me concerned is us not having enough tests for everyone; also the shortage of medical staff and medical equipment.

“I do feel that there should be an extension for that extra prevention, as we are still in the phase of the buildup of the virus and we haven’t had so many tests being done as of yet.”

She is also, however, concerned about surviving this financially.

“Personally, going in a lockdown longer will affect my bills I need to pay as you can’t cancel or freeze most of them, especially if you have retirements and investments. You will make a great loss.

“Then there is the fact of paying rent and medical bills. Also, being pregnant in this pandemic, the bills still come through fast – and not working is a difficult time to pay for all my appointments. Businesswise, being a hairdresser, I make my money per client and if I am not working I am not bringing in an income, where I need to pay my rent and staff.”

Christo Smith, full-time photographer and owner of a small gymnasium, also lauded the swift action from government, despite having lost 90% of his income overnight as the lockdown took effect.

“Things were already very difficult before the pandemic … This is hurting …

“I know of a few friends who are also self-employed and their businesses are in massive trouble. I maintain that it is the right call, albeit an economically devastating one.

Members of the SANDF can be seen at the N1 carousel plaza toll gate during a patrol in Pretoria, 8 April 2020. Picture: Jacques Nelles

“Last night, our president announced the extension of the lockdown for a further two weeks. I must say that I agree with this. I am self-employed and this has been devastating to me. However, the risk of the virus spreading and affecting more people is massive. I think it was the right call. We, as South Africans, are resilient and strong.”

Smith said there has been an increase in traffic in his street, as well as at shops, which is cause for concern.

“I honestly just feel that while a lot of us are doing what is necessary by staying home, so many of us are simply not taking this seriously enough.”

Another gym owner, Russell Swanepoel from Durban, said: “I think we have made a great start to dealing with the virus from a medical and social perspective. And for that the government should take credit. I think they have done as much as they possibly could, given the unique challenges South Africa has.”

He fully supported extending the lockdown. “I don’t believe we have experienced the full force of the storm yet and unfortunately we have not done extensive enough testing to get the full picture of the spread.

“If we are to effectively ‘flatten the curve’ and minimise the impact on our healthcare systems, we need to extend the lockdown, or many people will die unnecessarily – and those impacts on society and the economy are hard to quantify.”

He said it was “the right decision for the greater good of every one of us”.

“Especially those most vulnerable,” he said.

“Obviously, my business being closed for longer is not ideal and potentially damaging for me. But I can’t control all those factors and so I have had to adapt as much as possible in order to deliver a product to my clients. Fortunately, to a greater or lesser degree, I am able to do that.

“And I have been very fortunate with the loyalty shown by my customers so far.”

Swanepoel said it was “better to take the hit now, knowing that it is a lasting solution for the vast majority of the country”.

“A short-term pain or loss in the form of an extension, is preferable to having multiple disruptions if we get numerous flare-ups of the virus. Or even worse, experience a situation where people don’t want to come to my gym because they are scared that interacting with people in that space will compromise their health.”

He said, though, that “in an ideal world,” he would like to see certain restrictions loosened.

“To allow some things to be ‘given back’ to people. For example, drive-through take-aways, cigarettes, alcohol; the sort of things where interactions can be controlled.”

– news@citizen.co.za

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