SECUNDA – Ms Sandy Buthelezi (35) has a knack with people and with words.
This mother of two is probably one of the most popular waiters at the Oregon Spur in Secunda and according to her employer, Mr Armand Riekert, regular customers are known to drive more than 100km to be served by Ms Buthelezi.
“I believe that I have a gift to read people and to know what they want. I also think the knowledge I gained while studying psychology, helps a lot.”
Ms Buthelezi grew up in Bulawayo as the oldest of four daughters and was still very young when her mother, Ms Moureen Mhlanga, died.
Life was tough, especially after her father remarried. Ms Buthelezi turned to penning down her personal experiences in fictional stories and eventually this led to a novel she wrote in later years.
“My characters are fictional, but their stories are based on a lot of my own experiences,” said Ms Buthelezi.
How did a Zimbabwean girl studying at Fort Hare to become a psychologist end up as a waitress in Secunda? one might ask.
“Love – I fell in love with a fellow student and inevitably fell pregnant. We got married, but it ended in a divorce several years later.
“I did however gain from the marriage two beautiful girls, Chantelle (15) and Kelly (11).”
Ms Buthelezi continued to expand her writing talent and embarked on writing a novel with the main character being a single mother who tries to make ends meet.
“The book took me several months to write. I even had a restaurant customer interested in helping me to have the book printed,” she said.
Her dream of becoming a published author was shattered when, shortly before finishing her book in 2017, she was robbed in her home.
“Two men broke into my flat on a day that I was at home. They tied me up and forced me to remain under the bed while they ransacked my house. They stole my phone and laptop that contained all my writings,” said Ms Buthelezi.
Her precious laptop and phone also contained the contact number of the person who wanted to help her with the book.
Ms Buthelezi was frightened and also very disappointed that her labour was in vain.
She did however, turn her head and heart around and gradually began typing away on a new story.
“The character in my new novel is similar to the first, but the story line has change,” she explained. She types whenever she has time to spare.
Being a full time waitress and a single mother, takes up a lot of time. She also put in a lot of effort to send medicine and bandages to her ailing father in Zimbabwe where he suffers from cancer.
“When I get home at night after a long day on my feet, I like to pour a glass of wine and get my creative juices flowing.”
