Knowing your hustle on Jozi streets

“I NEVER took time to think when I was angry. I was too impulsive. I used to act on my emotions.

“In the end it ruined my life. When my dad died a few years ago, I had a disagreement with my mom’s side of the family after they sold dad’s house without consulting me.

“I was furious. I lost my cool with one of my uncles and ended up beating him up.

“I got thrown in jail and spent a good couple of months behind bars for assault.

“Jail life was really terrible…I really struggled.

“When I got out of jail, I had no home and no family to support me as mom and dad had passed away.

“In the space of a few years I became a homeless person. In the beginning I slept on the street before I eventually found an abandoned building where other homeless people were staying.

“It’s really scary at night but beggars can’t be choosers. To survive I had a job at a nightclub cleaning their floors.

“I used to get paid R300 a week, so I was able to feed myself sufficiently. But I recently lost my job.

“So now I’m on the lookout for a new job.

“A few shop owners have allowed me to wash their windows, but I hardly get given any money.

“I’m really struggling these days. I can go days without eating anything.

But I have faith in God that something will come up soon.”