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Drugs, food and sleeping rough: another Christmas arrives on the mean streets of Johannesburg
While most South Africans are celebrating a festive Christmas Day, many others will be on the empty, mean streets of Jozi fighting to survive.
Edward Manella, 41, sleeps in a tent under a bridge in Johannesburg. For him the season holds very little in festivities.
“Most days we survive from food people give us from their car windows. This time of the year people feel more shame, so they give more. But there are very little people. Most are away, so we struggle now,” Manella told Times LIVE.
He is one of three people sharing a tent and makeshift beds under the shelter of the bridge. The other two people — man and a woman — did not want to talk.
“I am in charge here. The three of us share everything we get,” says Manella.
“My friend here was attacked by criminals with knives while I was sleeping. They stabbed him and took everything we had. We are never safe.”
Manella, originally from a farm near Groblersdal in Limpopo, has been living on the street for 21 years.
“I don’t know any other place now. Over Christmas you will find me here, because I have no other place to go.”
Less than 100m away, Freddie Sathekge, 48, waves a takeaway cup at passing motorists. Empty and in vain.
“You struggle more in Christmas time because there are not so many cars. The people are going to warm places, so they don’t see us,” Sathekge says.
He glances at the darkening clouds and shrugs.
“When it rains, they close the windows. No money then.”
Sathekge sleeps in a tent in the bush.
“We cook on fire. Some people gave us a bag of mealie meal. Now we buy worse when we can. That is very good food,” Sathekge smiles.
He says business started picking up after lockdown.
“On a good day you can make R120 to R180. You can survive like that.”
But the “good days” are gone for now.
“I will struggle to make R50 today, so I will just eat pap.”
Martinis Barnard, 45, is from Vrededorp.
“I am originally from Polokwane and then Fiestas — Vrededorp. I have been living on the streets now for nine years. I stay in a tent in the hills near Fiestas,” says Barnard.
His blue eyes twinkle sadly in his weather-beaten face as he confesses: “Drugs is a big problem in my life. All of us are addicted to myope. There are 11 nape merchants between here and Fiestas. Eleven places, and most days there are queues. That shows you how popular it is.”
He shakes his head angrily.