This article has now been published by Pambazuka.

Telling the Untold Story

BY ZIMASA LERUMO, A 20 YEAR OLD UNEMPLOYED WOMAN LIVING AT QQ INFORMAL SETTLEMENT WITHOUT ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER, TOILET, AND ELECTRICITY.

(ZIMASA IS COORDINATING ABM – WC YOUTH PROJECT AND SHE WILL ALSO BE SPEAKING AT OUR NO LAND! NO HOUSE! NO VOTE! LAUNCH WHICH WILL BE HELD AT VE INFORMAL SETTLEMENT ON THE 21ST MARCH 2011).

I WAS BORN 1990-27-09 IN CAPE TOWN,IN A VERY BIG HOSPITAL CALLED GROOTERSCHUUR BUT I GROW UP IN EASTERN CAPE IN A SMALL RURAL AREA CALLED EDIPHALA IN [WHITTLE SEA] AT THAT TIME LIFE WAS VERY EASY BECAUSE I WAS RAISED UP BY BOTH PARENTS AND BOTH GRAND PARENTS IN BOTH FAMALIES, BUT THINGS GOT CHANGED WHEN MY PARENTS GOT DIVORCED AND MY MOTHER LEFT MY FATHER AND SHE DECIDED TO LEAVE EASTERN CAPE, SHE WENT TO JHB TO WORK SO THAT ME AND MY BROTHER CAN HAVE A BETTER LIFE.

SHE LEFT ME WITH HER YOUNGER SISTERS [MY AUNTS] WHILE SHE WAS LOOKING FOR A JOB. THEY WERE TREATING ME VERY WELL, BUT AS A LITTLE GIRL GROWING UP WITHOUT A MOTHER LIFE WAS NOT EASY FOR ME. WHEN I WAS IN GRADE 4 SHE CALLED ME TO JHB, YES LIFE THERE WAS MUCH BETTER BECAUSE WE LIVED IN SURBUBS IN A FLAT, WENT TO WHITES SCHOOL, APPARENTLY WHEN I STARTED MY HIGH SCHOOL MY MOM LOST HER JOB AND LIFE STARTED TO BE DIFFICULT AGAIN BUT I MANAGED TO FINISH MY GRADE 8.

MY AUNT TOLD MY MOTHER THAT I MUST COME TO CAPE TOWN AND LIVE WITH HER. LIFE IN CAPETOWN WAS HORREBLY AND DIFFICULT FOR ME BECAUSE I WAS NOT USE TO THE SITUATION IN WHICH SHE LIVED UNDER OFF.

SHE’S LEAVING IN A SMALL SHACK WITH THREE FAMILY MEMBERS AND IM THE FOURTH ONE,IN A VERY SMALL AREA CALLED QQ SECTION ON A DIRTY ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOU COULD NOT EVEN GO TO THE TOILET,YOU HAVE TO USE A PLASTIC BECAUSE THE ARE NO TOILETS.WE THROW OUR DIRT IN A PLACE WHERE WE CALL [INYHUNYHU] A DIRTY PLACE ACROSS THE STREET AND WE GET SICK EASLY BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENT IS NOT CLEAN ESEPCIALLY FOR KIDS BECAUSE THEY PLAY NEXT TO IT CAUSE THERES NO PLACE FOR THEM TO PLAY.

I MET NEW FREINDS THEY WERE QUIT GOOD BUT MOST OF THEM THEY WERE NOT GOING TO SCHOOL BUT I HAD A CLOSE FREIND LUCKLY SHE WAS STILL GOING TO SCHOOL.

WE DID BAD THINGS E.G WE USED TO DRINK WHILE WE WERE WRITING OUR MATRIC EXAMS,GO TO PARTIES AND SOMETIMES DONT STUDY,OR STUDY ON THE NIGHT BEFORE THE EXAM.SADLY I GOT THE DRINKING RESULTS I FAILED MY MATRIC BUT LUCKLY I GOT A CHANCE TO WRITE THE TWO SUBJECTS THAT I’V FAILED.

WHILE I WAS WAITING TO REWRITE MY SUPPLEMENTARY EXAM I HAD NOTHING TO DO EXCEPT FOR PREPARING MY EXAMS,I USE TO SIT THE WHOLE DAY,UNEMPLOYED BUT THANKS TO ABAHLALI BASEMJONDOLO [ABM] ORGANISATION.

I GOT INVOLVED ON THIS ORGANISATION THAT WORKS ON TRYING TO MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVES IN SHACKS.THEY ARE TRYING TO PUSH GOVERNMENT TO DO THE WORK THAT PEOPLE EXPECT THEM TO DO,BY BUILDING THEM HOUSES WITH ELECTRICITY,CLEAN WATER AND TOILETS IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT AND I THINK THATS A GOOD THING FOR ME BECAUSE IM ALSO TRYING TO MAKE A CHANGE ON PEOPLES LIVES AND MY LIFE TOO, BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT.

THE ONLY THING THAT THEY DO IS TO TELL US TO VOTE.SO I TOLD MY SELF THAT IM NOT GONNA VOTE CAUSE I DONT SEE THE REASON OF VOTING BECAUSE IT DOES’NT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE, INSTEAD OF MAKING MY LIFE BETTER, IT’S MAKING IT WORS. THE ONLY THING THAT THEY DO IS LYING TO US TELLING US TO VOTE BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY THERE IS NOTHING HAPPENING THEY KEEP ON MAKING EMPTY PROMISESS, GIVING US HOPES THAT WILL NEVER BE TRUE.I TOLD MY SELF THAT I WILL NEVER VOTE IN MY LIFE WHILE I STILL LIVE IN SUCH A STATE, NOT WHILE PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA STILL LIVING IN HELL BECAUSE IT’S NOT LIKE THE GOVERNMENT DONT HAVE MONEY,THEY WASTING MONEY ON UNNECESSARY THINGS SUCH AS BILDING NEW STADUIM, BUSSES, GAUTRAIN AND ETC.

FOR COMMENT CALL ZIMASA AT: 071 051 2883

FOR NO LAND! NO HOUSE! NO VOTE! CAMPAIGN PLEASE CALL: 073 2562 036

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