The article focuses on the harsh living conditions in Ezimbhuzini, a shack settlement in Soweto, Johannesburg. It portrays the struggles of Amanda and Monica, two residents facing extreme poverty, unemployment, and safety concerns. With a national unemployment rate above 33%, they rely on minimal state grants to survive. Their dreams of a better life have faded, leaving them in cramped conditions with their families. The piece highlights the challenges of inequality and the urgent need for support in such marginalized communities.
Ezimbhuzini, located in Soweto to the southwest of Johannesburg, is one of several makeshift settlements in the area. “Sometimes they fight with guns. Then the bullets land here,” recounts Amanda.
The living space is cramped, with barely any distance between the bed and the corrugated metal walls. A bag of clothing dangles from a nail. “Some mornings, I knock on the wall from outside and ask my neighbor: Are you still alive?”
Amanda mentions that at times she must shake her neighbor to ensure she is still okay. “Living here is not safe,” Monica agrees, adding that every morning, Amanda thanks God she has woken up unharmed.
Sweltering Summers and Chilly Winters
Many refer to areas like Ezimbhuzini as the “ugly Soweto.” This settlement is home to around five to six thousand people, packed closely together in inadequate shacks constructed from corrugated iron and wood. Summers are unbearably hot, while winters bring biting cold.
It is a community marked by shattered dreams. Both Monica and Amanda left their hometowns in the Eastern Cape, the most impoverished province of South Africa, with aspirations in their hearts. Monica arrived in Soweto roughly 20 years ago, while Amanda made the journey five years back.
They sought better opportunities in Greater Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic hub, hoping to find employment.
Amanda embarked on an office apprenticeship but could not complete it due to her parents losing their jobs, which left the family in need of financial support for her younger siblings’ education.
Thus, hopes were placed on Amanda, yet she has not been able to achieve them.
High Unemployment Rates
A staggering number of individuals in South Africa are jobless. The national unemployment rate exceeds 33 percent, and this figure only accounts for those officially recorded. Among youth, it reportedly surpasses 60 percent, leading a well-known online platform to declare an “unemployment crisis.”
The absence of straightforward solutions leaves many reliant on government assistance in the form of grants, subsidies, or social aid. Monica and Amanda each receive about 40 to 60 francs per month.
This amount is hardly sufficient, even in South Africa, where wealth disparity is the highest globally. “There’s not enough money,” Monica states, struggling to provide for herself, her husband, her grandfather, and her young child.
Monica shares a space of less than twelve square meters with her family. Her eight other children reside with relatives in the Eastern Cape; she cannot care for them, she explains.
Aspirations Dimmed
A job, a proper home, a better life—these are Monica’s dreams. At 35, she and Amanda are still young enough to envision a future. However, the sadness etched on their faces and the disappointment in their eyes reveal that they have lost hope long ago.
Their conversation is cut short as a group of young men gathers nearby. The local worker encourages them to disperse.
Before leaving, Amanda requests, “When you come back, please bring us warm clothes. We don’t want to freeze at night.”