Duma said he is determined to find work. “There is no point of going home because the family fights will continue and I don't want to appear like a failure,” he said.
Danie Horn, the founder of Homeless Solutions, a shelter for homeless people in Pretoria, said there were three main contributing factors to people ending up homeless such as drug habits, mental health and lack of work opportunities.
“They come looking for a job in the city and when they don't get one they end up homeless. Others used to have jobs but ended up on the streets after losing their jobs due to substance abuse.
“In other instances, those who find a job end up not affording to pay for rent and food, and become homeless, more so in Cape Town and Joburg.”
Horn said the main reason people end up in these two cities is because they are believed to be the centres of the country's economy and therefore chances of employment are much higher than other areas.
He said homelessness strains the government, citing how millions of rand were spent during Covid to relocate people, only for them to return to the streets. He suggested creating active skills development centres, as “these people are talented”.
Meanwhile, a 27-year-old man from Mpumalanga, who asked not to be named, said he ended up being homeless when he went to Pretoria hoping to further his studies but without having secured a spot at the institution first.
When his money ran out, he ended on the streets where he has been staying for a month now.
He said he does not plan to go back home because he still wants to register at a college in Pretoria for business studies.
Lerato Motsa, whose brother has been homeless for over two decades, finds peace knowing he is still alive, according to home affairs records.
“We usually check with home affairs if he is declared dead or not. It is painful because when I eat, when it is raining or cold ... I think of him. He had lung problems, so I even wonder if he still takes his medication,” she said.
Motsa said every time they bring their brother home he decides to go back to the street.
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The harsh reality of living on the streets
Homelessness happens for different reasons
Image: HERMAN MOLOI
A KwaZulu-Natal man’s journey to Gauteng to seek new job opportunities hit a snag when he joined a growing legion of the homeless on the streets.
Psychology Duma, 46, who moved to Johannesburg in January, was running away from family feuds with his siblings over their parents' estate and thought he would start afresh in a new place, but he ended having no place to lay his head.
“Over the past few years, I have been fighting with my siblings over our parents' house. It became worse when my married sister and I sold another family house. We shared the money [without the knowledge of the other 14 siblings],” Duma said.
The trained chef's run of bad luck started when he lost jobs at restaurants where he worked. His last formal job was at a fruit and vegetable store during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Losing the ability to fend for myself and three children contributed to the family fights until I could no longer endure it,” he said.
“My decision was influenced by anger of being unable to look after myself and my three children. I regret everything but again I had been applying that side [in KZN] but with no luck. I thought things would be different in Gauteng.”
A recent Stats SA census study has revealed that homelessness in SA has increased exponentially, from 13,135 people in 1996 to 55,719 in 2022, and the prevalence increased from 0.03% in 1996 to 0.09% in 2022.
According to the report, economic factors such as unemployment and lack of income, along with family-related issues and disputes, death and dissolution and substance abuse, were identified as the main drivers of homelessness in SA.
Duma recalled his first night sleeping on the streets in Joburg, a life he said he never imagined for himself. “At Bree taxi rank at night, two guys approached and offered me a place to sleep. They looked like they wanted to rob me; they insisted until they gave up but warned me I would get robbed.”
He said he carried a bag with clothes and some toiletries, which he ended up selling to buy food.
FACT BOX
SA Homelessness prevalence is under 1%, at 0.09% nationally, with the number of homeless rising from 13,135 in 1996 to 55,719 in 2022.
Homelessness is more common in males than females, with 44.6% of homeless individuals being adults and 43.8% youth.
Smaller groups included children (5%) and older adults (7%).
Homelessness varies across provinces, with Gauteng having the largest share at 46%, while the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga have the lowest at 1.1% and 2.3%, respectively.
At the district level, homelessness is more common in metropolitan areas (74.1%) than in non-metropolitan areas (25.9%).
Among the eight metropolitan areas, Tshwane had the highest share at 18.1%, followed by Johannesburg at 15.6%, while Nelson Mandela Bay had the lowest at 2.7%.
Homeless individuals were divided into two groups: 71% lived on the streets (roofless) and 29.2% stayed in shelters.
The results showed that 7 in 10 homeless people (70.8%) were roofless.The study found that homelessness is a prima facie violation of the right to housing and other human rights, including the right to life, non-discrimination, health, water, sanitation, security, and freedom from cruel treatment. Credit: Stats SA
Duma said he is determined to find work. “There is no point of going home because the family fights will continue and I don't want to appear like a failure,” he said.
Danie Horn, the founder of Homeless Solutions, a shelter for homeless people in Pretoria, said there were three main contributing factors to people ending up homeless such as drug habits, mental health and lack of work opportunities.
“They come looking for a job in the city and when they don't get one they end up homeless. Others used to have jobs but ended up on the streets after losing their jobs due to substance abuse.
“In other instances, those who find a job end up not affording to pay for rent and food, and become homeless, more so in Cape Town and Joburg.”
Horn said the main reason people end up in these two cities is because they are believed to be the centres of the country's economy and therefore chances of employment are much higher than other areas.
He said homelessness strains the government, citing how millions of rand were spent during Covid to relocate people, only for them to return to the streets. He suggested creating active skills development centres, as “these people are talented”.
Meanwhile, a 27-year-old man from Mpumalanga, who asked not to be named, said he ended up being homeless when he went to Pretoria hoping to further his studies but without having secured a spot at the institution first.
When his money ran out, he ended on the streets where he has been staying for a month now.
He said he does not plan to go back home because he still wants to register at a college in Pretoria for business studies.
Lerato Motsa, whose brother has been homeless for over two decades, finds peace knowing he is still alive, according to home affairs records.
“We usually check with home affairs if he is declared dead or not. It is painful because when I eat, when it is raining or cold ... I think of him. He had lung problems, so I even wonder if he still takes his medication,” she said.
Motsa said every time they bring their brother home he decides to go back to the street.
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