Ntombizodwa Mthembu feels she has failed in her duties as a mother.
For the past 20 years, she was able to provide for her six children while working as a car guard, but this income has since been taken away from her.
With the new public parking system implemented on July 1 in the Newcastle CBD, around 40 marshals were employed.
Mthembu, along with many existing car guards, were not among them.
“I have failed as a mother because I can’t pay for my children’s university fees,” she said tearily.
At a recent Business Against Crime (BAC) meeting held at the Newcastle Police Station, five car guards were elected to represent their colleagues on a committee.
Mthembu and George Mphekwa felt they needed the voices of the car guards to be heard.
In previous articles, the concern of the existing car guards were highlighted and placed under the spotlight, and a response from the Newcastle Municipality’s Communication Department read:
“The recognised car guards were offered opportunities to submit their credentials to join a structured team. Some indeed took advantage of this and are now parking marshals. The car guards play a different role from the parking marshals. The Parking Management System was established to create jobs and not reduce opportunities.”
How this system has affected the fate of the car guards:
Mthembu and Mphekwa unanimously stated they were not approached to be absorbed into the system, but acquired information from a third party, who encouraged them to submit their CVs for consideration.
“We were waiting for them to call us back. It was the day of the national elections and most of us were at the voting station. When we came back the next day, the other guards said some of them were called for training.”
52-year-old Mthembu said it was difficult to find employment at her age and now relied on donations from the public simply to be able to afford a taxi back home.
Even though she receives a grant for her children, this is just enough to pay for daily transport fees, school fees-and a loaf of bread if she was lucky.
“We go home hungry,” Mthembu said emotionally.
Mphekwa, who is 49 years old, said he had four dependents, and did not know where their next meal would come from, due to him effectively being unemployed.
“We are suffering; the other car guards can’t even afford to pay their rent and have to sleep under the bridge,” he concluded, shaking his head despondently.
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