Africa-Press – South-Africa. A group of unemployed men have turned the remnants of the tragedy in Inanda into food for their children.
They are collecting loam sand washed up in the heavy floods last week.
A load is sold for between R200 and R500.
Many people in the township situated in northern eThekwini are searching for their loved ones.
While devastated families joined by concerned residents combed streams and debris, searching for their loved ones, a group of men arrived in cars to collect the sand.
The sand is used for building purposes.
Sithabiso Zondi and others were seen carrying buckets filled with sand and emptying them into a white bakkie.
“This is our only way of earning a living,” he said.
Zondi paced up and down, collecting and offloading buckets of sand.
“I am unemployed, I am a parent, I have to fend for my children. This is an opportunity for us to make some money.”
Zondi said their collected sand was used for plastering and making bricks.
“People who make bricks are contacting us, asking for sand. The floods destroyed many houses. Those houses must be rebuilt, forcing sand to be in demand.
Zondi empathised with families who had lost their loved ones.
“What we are doing here doesn’t mean that we are oblivious of what is happening. We are in pain together with our neighbours. We offer our condolences to those planning to bury their loved ones,” said Zondi.
Nkosinamandla Mchunu said “poverty has no friends”.
Mchunu and his two partners were pushing three wheelbarrows loaded with sand.
They emptied them into a truck standing about 20m away from where they were collecting the sand.
“When poverty hits you, you will do anything to survive. I am earning a living from this sand. I am unemployed after being retrenched.
“I have been collecting sand for a while before the floods. I am a breadwinner at home. I look after my brother and siblings with sand money. There are no job opportunities in Inanda.
“I have lost count of how many times I have voted, hoping things will change in Inanda. Politicians have promised us jobs to no avail. We can’t pretend that we don’t know what our neighbours are going through.
“Their pain is our pain. After collecting sand, we return to join in the search for missing people,” Mchunu said.
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