The street children of Ladysmith, commonly known as ‘amaPhara’, made the most of the flooding that has hit the low-lying areas of the CBD.
Heavy rainfall started on Monday night (February 8), leading to flooding in Lyell Street and the taxi rank due to the blocked storm-water drainage system. This flooding put a stop to many businesses in Lyell Street, as they were unable to trade as per normal. Street vendors were also unable to operate.
Also read: Ladysmith KZN: Flooding in lower CBD caused by heavy rains
But every cloud has a silver lining, or so they say… This time, fortune favoured the street kids on Tuesday. The enterprising ‘amaPhara’ of Ladysmith were able to make a ‘quick buck’ during this time of sorrow for business people. They became ‘divers’ who helped people to cross Lyell Street with their luggage.
They charged R5 if they had to carry a person on their back, and R10 if they had to use a trolley to get people across the swirling waters… Very entrepreneurial indeed!
Videos of the street kids swimming in the dirty water have gone viral on social media.
Traffic congestion was bad in Murchison Street, as most people used it as an alternative route to get home.
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