An incredibly small space, which appears to have once been an outside toilet, is home to John Marcus and his 19-year-old son, Thulani Klaas.
An incredibly small space, which appears to have once been an outside toilet, is home to John Marcus and his 19-year-old son, Thulani Klaas.
Marcus describes his living conditions as "horrible". He said, "I am not a sick person but I have been having a problem with my back as I can't stretch my body in there." Klaas added he would appreciate a better home. "This is really not a place for me to grow up," he said.
Marcus used to stay in his mother's house near Albany Road before it was taken. His niece, Gwenda-Lene Mccabe said, "People came and gave my mother some Jabula in exchange for the house." She explained the person who bought the house with Jabula (a home brewed beer made from bread and yeast) is the owner of taverns in the area and still lives at the house but has renovated it.
Ward 11 councillor Lena May said, "This is not the way human beings should live. It is sad to see something like that when we are here for service delivery." She added that when the municipality makes lists of matters that need to be addressed and money is then spent on irrelevant things it frustrates her.
She said she has submitted Marcus' name to the municipality's campaign in performing community activities during the 16 days of activism. "We were asked to submit one name so that they will be screened and one person from each ward will be assisted according to their needs."
She added that she has also assisted him in applying for housing. Marcus's age makes it difficult for him to find a permanent job and he has to depend on temporary work such as painting and gardening. Mccabe said 2008 was the last time they received financial assistance from the government to support Klaas, who Marcus adopted nine years ago from the Eluxolweni Shelter where he was on the brink of being sent to a juvenile prison.
"Even before that we were providing him without the help of the government. He has a little brother that we also want to take in that is at the shelter," she said. Marcus added, "He (the little brother) must not think that we don't care for him but the fact that Thulani and I are in this situation it is difficult for him to stay with us. They are supposed to be together but God will provide so that we can get a place to stay."
People facing a similar situation can find relief by visiting the local South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and Social Development offices. According to Sassa Senior Manager of Communications and Marketing Luzuko Qina, Sassa does provide social relief for distress, which is a temporary provision of assistance intended for persons in such dire material need that they are unable to meet their or their family's most basic needs.
"It is an aid we provide as a short-term provision where one receives it for three months," he said. Qina added that if the situation has not improved it can be extended by a period of a further three months. This is why it is important in Marcus' case in particular to visit the nearest Social Development Department, to be referred to a project for a long-term solution.
