Dag in, dag uit staan hulle daar. Van vroegdag af. Op die sypaadjies, by verkeersirkels. In buurte oral. In groepies saam, elkeen hoopvol vir \u2019n dag se stukwerk. Vir \u2019n paar rand. Vir iets om te eet vir die honger vrou en kinders by die huis. Vir \u2019n bietjie koopkrag. N\u00e9t d\u00edt. Net dalk vandag . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By \u2019n sirkel in \u2019n rykmansbuurt is Tshepo soggens voor sewe saam met \u2019n klomp stukwerk-soekers op die sypaadjie. Skuins oorkant die politikus se deftige huis, verskuil agter ho\u00eb mure en \u2019n swaar hek. Met \u2019n wit paal met kringtelevisiekamera\u2019s wat in alle rigtings loer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dis v\u00ear om te loop tot hier. Baie kilometers. Tshepo staan elke dag donkeroggend op. Om hier te wees vir die vroeg\u00adoggend-piekverkeer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Want dalk . . . Dalk is daar iemand in \u2019n kar wat hom raaksien vir \u2019n dag se tuinwerk. Of beter: \u2019n kontrakteur wat met \u2019n bakkie of lorrie stilhou op soek na arbeiders, vir \u2019n dag of dalk drie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wanneer hy soggens voor die lang stap die deur agter hom toedruk, is Dineo en die kinders nog vas aan die slaap in die sinkplaathuis waar hulle saans op hom wag. Dikwels honger. Dikwels verslae omdat hy met le\u00eb hande tuis kom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tshepo, die naam wat sy ouers vir hom in 1994 gegee het, beteken \u201choop\u201d. Hy was hul demokrasie-baba. Hulle was vol hoop nadat hulle vir die eerste keer hul kruisies by die stembus kon trek, en hy twee dae later sy opwagting in hul lewe en die Nuwe Suid-Afrika vol belofte gemaak het. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hy onthou die afdruk van die Vryheidsmanifes teen die voorkamermuur van sy ouers se klein, netjiese huis: \u201cThese freedoms we wil fight for, side by side, throughout our lives . . .\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hulle was so trots op hom nadat hy vinnig van handlanger tot messelaar gevorder en redelik verdien het. Genadiglik was hulle nie meer daar toe hy sy werk verloor het nie. Hy onthou hoe sy werkgewer hulle die oggend hartseer ingelig het dat hy, soos \u2019n klomp ander, die deure moet sluit. Hy onthou hoe die bankkrot eienaar verslae verduidelik het: die politiek . . . die ekonomie . . . <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dag in en dag uit skuif die swaar metaalhek van die politikus se huis soggens hier neffens die sirkel oop en ry hy met sy blink swart motor die straat op. Hy kyk nooit in die rigting van die sirkel waar hulle staan nie. Sien hy hulle? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hulle weet van hom. Hulle hoor die nuus oor die politieke binnegevegte wat hy in die raadsaal dryf. Hulle hoor van die tenders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dikwels is die politikus smiddae al voor vieruur terug by die huis, en sien die ongelukkiges wat heeldag vergeefs hier gestaan het hoe die swaar hek agter sy motor toeskuif. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Teen hierdie tyd van die dag praat die werksoekers op die sirkel nie meer nie. Al wat praat, is die verslaentheid in hul o\u00eb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sien die politikus dit dan nooit raak nie? Slaap hy saans rustig en vas? Het hy \u2019n gewete? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dag in, dag uit staan hulle daar. Van vroegdag af. Op die sypaadjies, by verkeersirkels. In buurte oral. In groepies saam, elkeen hoopvol vir \u2019n dag se stukwerk. Vir \u2019n paar rand. Vir iets om te eet vir die honger vrou en kinders by die huis. Vir 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