Chapter 1
In the dusty streets of
Madelakufa Informal Settlement in Tembisa, children could be seen playing
joyfully with little to no worries. Their happiness was a grand contradiction
of reality because in a place like that, where basic resources were nothing but
a dream, there was absolutely no factor to ensure a smile on their innocent
faces. However, this was the only way these little people had to keep
themselves busy. The area was less-inspirational, hence there was nothing else
to do except hopping from one place to another in pursuit of orchestrated
cheerfullness. Like a typical informal settlement, Madelakufa was a complete
reflection of a community that should not have happened. The parish had a poor
reputation of being a drug and crime haven, and was constantly engulfed with
social unrests. It was in a state of extreme dirtiness and it was
also stamped with unpleasantness as a result of chronic
poverty and neglect by the financially hopeless masses.
The place was discovered
in the early 90s when democracy greeted the country. The sad part was that it
had seen better days. Development was not a word that community members would
easily associate with. Madelakufa comprised unkempt shacks with dishevelled
appearance, bucket-system toilets, unpaved streets and there was no electricity
connection. People had to rely on communal taps for water. Life in Madelakufa
was catastrophic. A very few number of people could survive in this
environment. Living there was a baptism of fire. On top of that, it was not
somewhere one would proudly raise one’s children. Not even the bravest hungry
souls would want to trudge in this road. The place was inhabitable.
What was rather
comforting about Madelakufa was the high spirits of the people who occupied the
shacks that made the area. Despite having nothing to show for all the time they
had lived on this earth, the residents had made peace with living in a squalor.
They had taken pride in the fact that today’s problems were tomorrow’s
solutions. They were literally refusing to give up. This was also evident in
the spirit of togetherness that was displayed within the community. The people
supported one another. They had created their own economic space in a form of a
marketplace where they congregated to sell and buy different household
products. At this place, there would be those selling unhygienic vegetables,
fruits, meat and also suspicious second-hand goods. Every member of the
community embraced the marketplace and was hellbent in supporting the informal
traders to ensure the meteoric rise from poverty for all the people, against
what seemed like life that was destined for certain failure.
Madelakufa was an area
that Caiphus Ngobeni would easily resonate with. This was the place that
welcomed him when he set his foot in Gauteng for the first time. He had spent
the past three years of his life in the settlement, looking for a job. Caiphus came
to Gauteng when he was 26 years old. This was after his uncle, Madambi Chauke,
dragged him from his hometown of Tsuvulani in Bushbuckridge, to look for
employment. That was the next step he had to take in life after completing his
high-school education. Although he had big dreams of studying law, the
situation at home had other ideas. The finances were nowhere to be found; so
the dream had to be postponed.
Madambi was a typical
uncle who was concerned about his next meal only. He was not into a
fancy lifestyle, that is why he was very proud to call his shack a
'palace'. That was malume Madambi for you! He would get paid
on Friday and woke up penniless the next day. His money would be spent on booze
and young girls. He never cared about anything else except his immediate joy.
Caiphus had tried on
numerous occasions to advise his uncle but his words had always successfully
fallen on deaf ears. Malume Madambi was too old to be
convinced to change his habits. Like they say, you can’t teach an old dog new
tricks. Madambi was not an exception in this regard.
“Uncle, don’t you think
it is pointless that you sweat blood during the week, working for your wages
only to blow them overnight when you get paid? Shouldn’t you be investing in
something tangible?” asked Caiphus one day after his uncle came home filthy
drunk and could barely walk or make sense of anything.
“You know, mchana,
in this world, where death is the greatest hunter, learn to pay no attention to
tomorrow. We live only once. I mean only once! And you are here trying to look
very smart by trying to advise me to change my way of life. The very same life
I have been leading long before you were even born, imagine!” replied Madambi,
who was struggling to even speak properly, let alone standing steadily.
“I know. I know you have
been in this game for too long. But, allow me to show you the way. This life of
booze and young girls will not take you anywhere. You are ageing and you need
to redirect your life and focus your energies on important stuff, malume Madambi,” said Caiphus.
“Look who is talking
now?” asked Madambi, while giggling. His laughter contained an element of
undermining his nephew's motive.
“So, mchana,
I rescued you from the decay that was threatening your existence back at home.
I saved you from witchcraft by bringing you to Gauteng so you could stop waking
up to the crow of the cock. I brought you here free of charge. I buy you a
train ticket, clothes and also bread at least once a week so you can
get vitamins to go around and try your luck in all these companies around
Gauteng. Look at you now. Are you saying that the Caiphus I dragged from the bundus to
my house has, within the twinkling of an eye, become a life coach? Haibo
mchana, I introduced you to the lavish lifestyle of Tembisa and all of a
sudden you want to act like an expert? Who do you think you are?”
“That is not what I am
doing, uncle. It is just a word of advice from me as your…”
“No, young man. Hear me
out. Just hear me out. Hang in there. I know that your view of life is skewed
because you are unemployed now. Wait until you get a job. These young girls you
are despising today will throw themselves at you. We shall see if you will
resist them. At the moment you have eyes but cannot see. What I know is that
one day you will give me a handshake and say: 'Malume Madambi, you
were spot on. This life is the best kind of life to lead'.”
“I swear I won’t ever
waste my money on girls and alcohol. I know what I want in life,” said Caiphus,
trying to look all confident and determined.
“I also used to know
what I wanted in life, mchana. At some point in life I was young
and had big dreams. But look at me today. I am just a shadow of my former self.
All that matters to me is to survive a day as it comes. And now God has
unfortunately blessed me with a nephew who thinks he knows how I should live my
life. Imagine. Just imagine that! Mchana, so wena by
virtue of having a matric certificate you think you are sweeter than sugar?
Have you ever seen the cattle herding the shepherd? He banna!” sighed
Madambi. He then started laughing hysterically to express disbelief
and shock.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
