Homeless man, family reunited after 20 years

HEARTACHE after the loss of a child, brought Willem Havenga, 62, to Cape Town, leaving his family behind in Gauteng and eventually ending up homeless.

After 20 years of searching, his children have found him and have been virtually reunited through the assistance of Venetia Orgill, who’s NPO Discover Your Power, runs a weekly feeding scheme in the Company’s Garden.

Havenga’s granddaughter Dezschannelle Visser, 22, said: “This is a miracle, we just feel so blessed for the chance to see him again. We’ve been looking for him for 20 years and 20 years ago there wasn’t social media. Last week I called my mother, and told her since social media is so big now maybe we should start looking for him again.”

Visser posted her grandfather’s picture in several missing person groups on Facebook and after searching his name, she found him doing several television interviews online which pointed her to

where he was living.

He runs a jewellery stall selling handmade items in the Company’s Garden.

“I tried to contact the Company’s Garden but they could not assist me. Then a lady advised me to contact Venetia, and said she gives food to the homeless maybe she would know him. So I went to Facebook searching for her contact number until I got to the last post and I got her number.

“I called her and before I could even speak I broke into tears. I said you are the last person that can help me and she said she knows Willem and would get us into contact with him as soon as she goes there.”

Through Orgill’s assistance, the family were able to communicate with Havenga and arrange for him to visit in Mpumalanga where they live.

Havenga has five children, 11 grandchildren, and three greatgrandchildren. He lost one child at the age of three to meningitis and blamed his wife for many years. The emotional pain he said resulted in him cutting himself from his family and trying to start over.

On reuniting with his family, he said: “This was such a wonderful surprise, I am excited to reunite with the family, this is a second chance for us and an opportunity for me to meet my great-grandchildren. We were such a wonderful loving family and I want to bless my children before I die.

“I came to Cape Town and started my own NPO called Samaritans of Goodwill.

“The long hours started to take its toll on my body, so I gave the financial side of things over to someone else and then things went wrong.

“I lost everything, including my place in Muizenberg, my car and all my belongings.

“I was praying and praying and I said to my friend I am sick and tired of praying.

“Then all of a sudden I get this phone call from my son. This is all the work of God.”