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WE’RE NOW BEGGARS- VENDORS

08/04/2020 01:19:00 STORIES BY SITHEMBILE HLATSHWAYO

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MBABANE – Reality is hitting hard for 62-year-old Thembeni Shabangu as the country enters day 13 of the partial lockdown.

Shabangu, who has been a vendor for the past 20 years, is finding it hard to cope, following that she survives from hand to mouth to feed her family of 16.

Under normal circumstances, Shabangu, who sells vegetables at the Mbabane Bus Rank, made about E500 a day, but due to the lockdown, she has been turned into a beggar. Having to face her challenges every day is becoming unbearable such that she wishes she could buy death itself.
Relating her ordeal, Shabangu said, “Kube kufa kuyatsengwa ngabe kadze ngakutsenga.”

Breadwinner

Being a sole breadwinner for her family, she wakes up every morning to wander around the city as she cannot stand watching her children, grandchildren and husband starve.
However, she said despite going to town every day, it happens that she returns empty-handed and they sleep on an empty stomach.
“My husband suffered a stroke last year and this has resulted in me becoming the breadwinner,” said Shabangu.

The elderly woman said as she walked around the city, there were good Samaritans who were touched by her situation and donated food to her.
Currently, she said she was left with a 5kg pack of mealie-meal and beans which were last week donated to her by a good Samaritan.
Holding back tears, Shabangu said the food was now running out and she had no clue what she would do next.

Since the lockdown began, Shabangu said she had not had a chance to sell at her stall.
At least 78 fruit and vegetable vendors operate in the city and they have arranged to come in turns until the partial lockdown comes to an end. On a daily basis, only 10 vendors are allowed to operate.

According to Shabangu, she will for the first time during the lockdown, be at her stall tomorrow.
She said despite not being at her stall, she normally requested her colleagues to display a few items on their tables for her in order to go back home with something.

Shabangu said buying soap was impossible for the family as they were struggling to even put food on the table.
As a result, she said they could hardly wash their clothes and hands during this critical time of COVID-19 as the ministry of health is always advising the washing of hands.

She said if she had the privilege to ask for assistance from government, she had a number of requests but food was a priority for her and school fees for her last-born son who is currently in Form V.
Another distraught vendor is Sonto Zwane.

Since the partial lockdown was implemented by government, surviving is almost impossible for Zwane. She said as a result, she had turned into a beggar as she is compelled to return home with food after wandering aimlessly around town.

According to Zwane, it was impossible for her to buy in bulk as she cannot afford to.
Zwane, who also has a stall at the bus rank, said she sold perishables, including lettuce, cabbage and spinach.

Display

“My turn to display at my stall was on Sunday and the town was empty due to the partial lockdown, resulting in my wares not being bought,” said Zwane.
She said in order for her stock not to expire, she requested some colleagues to display them for her at their stalls. “This is also not helping as they have to make sure their stuff is bought first before they can sell mine.”

Zwane said despite the lockdown, she travelled every day to the city where she begs for money in order to buy food for her two children aged 12 and seven.
She said she was forced to beg because there was no guarantee that her vegetables would be bought under the circumstances.

They are pleading to government to allow them to trade in various parts of the city, lest they die of hunger. Government last week issued a list of essential sectors that would be allowed to trade.
As a means to curb large crowds, the vendors were told to take turns in selling their wares within the city.