Are street beggars in a danger zone?
Swartbos bridge will never be the same. The dwarf beggar Phillip Nkosinathi Ndlovu, also known as Shorty, was killed on the spot where he had been begging for years.
Motorists will no longer be greeted by Shorty’s broad smile and even broader grin when you put a coin in the cup he held out.
Shorty died in Witbank Hospital on Sunday, November 9 after he was hit by a motorbike.
The motorcyclist who hit Shorty said he is haunted by nightmares about the accident.
The man, who asked to be kept anonymous, said he changed lanes when the accident happened.
“I came from behind a car into the right lane when suddenly a man was in front of me. There was no way I could avoid hitting him,” the 32-year-old man said.
The man said he stopped and phoned the emergency services, who responded in good time and took him to hospital.
“I am from Pretoria and not familiar with eMalahleni. I had no idea there were beggars on the bridge,” the man said.
Shorty’s sister, Ms Bongi Hlope said Shorty attended Phillip Ndimane School.
“He was a good student, a clever young man,” Hlope said.
She said her heart breaks each time she passes his room.
“I expect to see him and hear him laugh,” she said.
William Shakespeare’s quote comes to mind when reading the comments on Facebook after it was posted that Shorty died. Shakespeare said, “When beggars die, there are no comets seen; the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.”
In his own right Shorty was eMalahleni’s mascot. Some even called him a celebrity.
Come rain or sun he was always on his post, white cup in hand, and that is how Shorty became part of the daily lives of everyone who passed him.
Frances Mulder Lourens wrote, “Still can’t believe Shorty is gone. He did me not wrong also smiled and said hello and ‘dankie’ if I put the money in his cup. May you have a blessed journey Shorty!”
“May your soul rest in peace. You have done what you have come to do on earth,” Wonderboy Masango wrote.
Marcia Khona Mayuso was just as shocked by the news and she wrote, “Rest in peace Phillip. Eish, now who am I gonna give my R5 to?”
The city’s administrator Mr Theo van Vuuren had the following to say, “It is real sad to have learned of the untimely death of Shorty. He was part of the scenery.”
The question asked is, could Shorty’s death been prevented if the bylaws where implemented?
“The municipality has bylaws aimed at preventing street trading, and littering and in this can also include beggars. The law enforcement unit and traffic officials are tasked to apply these rules and do so where they can,” Van Vuuren commented.
He said it is however not possible to be everywhere and the specific bridge where Shorty was active in particular is a very difficult place to control.
Van Vuuren then touched on why Shorty was forced to beg.
“How do we treat people like Shorty who is dependant on donations from people driving by? How do we stop them making a living this way? Whilst we have poverty we will always have this issue to deal with. Street beggars will remain one of the grey areas, not only here but the rest of South Africa.”
He said fining people like Shorty is meaningless and to chase them away does not help.
“If we find someone selling goods our approach will be harsher. The bylaws are clear and applied within limitation to our staff capacity. Needless to say when somebody like Shorty dies in the traffic we all need to sit back and reflect, not only on stricter law enforcement but perhaps also on the state of our society where people are so desperate for an income , they will do anything.”
Shorty will be laid to rest in Dennilton on Saturday, November 15.
The circumstances surrounding Shorty’s death are still under investigation.
If you witnessed the accident, you are asked to contact the investigating officer W/O Marius Etsebeth: 084 499 8041.
How do you feel about these street beggars? Should they be left to sell goods in the streets and to beg for money or should law enforcement be more vigilant and remove them? Have your voice heard comment below.
Dis baie sad, maar genade hoe kan die stadsraad dit toelaat dat mense daar staan en bedel. Nou het n persoon sy lewe verloor en n ander persoon het vir die res van sy lewe nagmerries oor wat gebeur het. Die mense is regtig soms in die pad en moet jy omtrent versigtig wees om hul nie te stamp nie. Ek verstaan hulle bedel vir geld omdat daar nie ander maniere is nie, maar daar is ander plekke om te bedel. Mnr Theo hoop regtig jy gaan n plan maak sodat die nagmerrie nie weer gaan gebeur nie. Hou bedelaars van ons paaie af!
They do not belong on the streets and busy roads. Law inforcement should remove them. Roads are for vehicles and you must have a hawkers license to sell goods.
The street beggars should be left alone in the street and continue to beg for money for their own survival because it is pretty much obvious that there’s nothing that the law can do about it. Removing them from the street is another way of increasing crime in south Africa,for instance, if they no longer get the One rands and five rands they were getting everyday on the street they are going to think of something else that would help them to get cash so fast.