Lebo finds himself on the street in City of Gold
YOU think these things will never happen to you… and then in a flash your life can change drastically. That’s exactly what happened to me. Four years ago, I had a roof over my head, had food on the table, and a grandmother who took good care of me.
Today I don’t have a home, I go hungry most days and my grandmother is long gone. I lost everything. I was in Grade 11 when my grandmother passed away. Shortly afterwards, my aunty and her boyfriend took over the home and kicked me out because they didn’t like me. I was left without a home, no money, nothing. I was forced to leave school, and look for a job so that I could support myself. The dream was always to pursue a degree in law once I had finished my schooling.
However, there is no way I could do that now. I have to think on my feet and do what’s necessary to survive. I left the Free State and came to Joburg in the hope that I could find myself a good job and get back on my feet. Many of my friends told me that Joburg was the place of opportunity, jobs, but I have battled to find work. I didn’t finish school and have no qualifications and experience, so nobody wanted to hire me.
The only thing I could do was to beg for money. I had to swallow my pride and stand on the corner and ask for money to buy food.
I never imagined I would find myself in this position. I know I came to Joburg with no plan but I thought it would have been easier than this. I’ve been on the streets for three years, the most terrible years of my life. I now sleep under a bridge, with a handful of other homeless guys. When it’s cold and raining we all squeeze up and hold each other to keep warm. I go days without eating or drinking anything. When I’m not begging for money, I wash cars for money. In the three years in Joburg, I have been wrongfully arrested and thrown into jail for something I didn’t do. I was put in Leeuhof Prison, outside Vereeniging, for a few months, which was a terrible. Never think that this can’t happen to you. My life was turned upside down in a flash and these days I have no will to live.
(Lebo Mahlatsi – Joburg)