by Carlos Mesquita
When I turned 52 on March 27, two things happened - the one was, I had to take stock of my life.
I was living in Riebeeck Park and abusing crystal meth (tik). I justified the abuse by saying I needed the extra energy to keep going 16 hours a day in order to go “skarrel” in the bins at dawn and only stop once I look like a cart-horse (with all the “tjaaila” I carried). The “tjaaila” became stock for the second-hand business I started four years ago and now trades on the Grand Parade, the deck and opposite the railway police.
It’s a tough life - you are either “skarreling”, selling “the skarrel” at the stall or pushing your trolley up to the mountain, and then the sleep you manage to get in is the one-eye-open type because of thieves or worse still, Law Enforcement, who seem to prey on those living on the streets who may have something they want or just plain don’t like, as in my case I have on occasion given them “attitude” or reported them. Why? one gets tired of being treated like dirt.
So, nothing much happening at 52 to be proud of.
The second thing that happened on March 27? And how does it happen that you are reading my weekly column? Strange, unbelievable! Covid-19! Lockdown! Culemburg! Strandfontein! Sobriety! High court! Community Chest! HAC! Our House! Inkathalo Conversations! Cape Argus! A new life at 52.
Here I am! Carlos, the guy taking stock of his life on tik in Riebeek Park, on March 27, is writing a column for the Cape Argus on October 20 and managing an “independent living” house for the homeless in Gardens and has 5000 friends on Facebook!
How did this all happen? Keep reading my column every week!
I knew the late Danny Oosthuizen, long before he started writing “Danny’s Diary” in the Argus and am honoured to continue the advocacy he started.
We both believe that homelessness becomes chronic because the interventions and services provided for the homeless are decided upon and provided without any consultation with the homeless, are thus ineffective and a waste of tax and ratepayers’ money.
This needs to be addressed.
In order for things to change, you (ratepayers, taxpayers, society in general) have to get to know us as we are and not as we are portrayed to be.
The homeless are made up of many groupings sharing only their status in accommodation.
We have to expose who we truly are and provide new definitions or we will forever be referred to in terms of untrue stereotypes and myths.
In remembering Danny and others who have died on the streets, I commit to write only about things that will empower and uplift those in homelessness on the streets of Cape Town.
Danny used to say: I am just like you, just homeless, I am saying whatever you are, good or bad. Well so am I!
* Carlos Mesquita and a handful of others formed HAC (the Homeless Action Committee) that lobbies for the rights of the homeless. He also manages Our House in Oranjezicht, which is powered by the Community Chest.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
Cape Argus
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