A community spirit
TAKING in an extra two people into her home was the right thing to do, says a tenant, Mrs Govender.
The woman, who has been living in her two-bedroom home for more than a decade, said during the violent attacks on residents seven months ago, a bullet had struck her window.
Govender lived with her husband, two children and elderly mother.
“When the evictions started, there were cries for help, sounds of bangs and tear gas. My family and I stayed in our home, away from all the chaos outside, but we were startled when a rubber bullet bust our window. When I saw my neighbours – an old couple – running away in fear, I knew I had to help.
“This community is a family and we stand united,” she said. “We see past each other’s race and cultural backgrounds. That’s why I decided to help my neighbours and take them in.”
The 54-year-old, who has allowed the couple to live with them, said: “We now have extra clothes to wash, extra food to cook and we are cleaning up more because the house is crowded.”
She said she and her husband occupied one bedroom and her mother and children the second. The couple slept in the lounge.
“Getting ready for work and getting everyone ready on time is a challenge because there is only one bathroom, but, over the past seven months, we have developed a routine. We miss our home being our home and we can see our neighbours want their independence back, but there’s nothing that can be done now.”
The neighbour said she felt they were imposing on the family: “We always try to lend a helping hand but we are unsettled because we don’t know where we stand at the moment. We are educated people and are fighting for our rights. No-one else is standing up for us. They are, instead, judging us.”