Life has become extremely difficult for a 58-year-old woman from Nkanini informal settlement in Khayelitsha who has lived with lymphedema for almost nine years.
This chronic condition is characterised by swelling, usually in the arms or legs, caused by a build-up of protein-rich lymph fluid when the lymphatic system is damaged or blocked.
Khayelitsha woman with lymphedema struggles to move
Hence, Lindiwe Dyalivane was unable to move freely as her legs got bigger every day and her living conditions were not suitable for her situation.
“I can’t walk properly. I use crutches and my legs become painful when I walk long distances. I spend most of my time lying in bed. Even stepping down from the bed is a mission on its own. I don’t bother going outside anymore. I just stay indoors.” She said she cannot stand for long periods owing to severe knee pain.
READ ALSO: ‘I can’t walk properly’: Debilitating lymphoedema grounds Khayelitsha woman
Living alone increases risk for vulnerable woman
What troubles the soft-spoken woman most is living alone because anything could happen to her. She had previously lived with her late sister’s children, whom she raised after their mother died, but they eventually left her.
“I don’t have any children of my own. I raised my sister’s children, but their behaviour started to change and they became disrespectful after I started asking them to help around the house. By December last year they were all gone.”
Dyalivane now struggles with basic daily tasks such as bathing and cleaning her shack. With only a disability grant she has to pay for assistance.
Disability grant not enough to cover basic needs
“From the little money I receive I must pay someone to help me bath, cook, clean the shack and do my laundry. I stopped going to the clinic for check-ups because I can’t afford transport. It costs about R250 to get to Michael Mapongwana Clinic. Even reaching the main road is a huge challenge. It can take me up to two hours to walk there.”
She added that when she needs medication she relies on others to buy it for her at the pharmacy.
All Dyalivane wants is a safer place to live. She said it need not be a formal house, but a fully serviced site would make a significant difference. She feared a fire breaking out in the settlement, in which case she would be unable to escape.
Life changed after sudden illness in 2017
Dyalivane has been embattled by these troubling prospects since her condition took a downturn suddenly in 2017.
“I grew up like anyone else, was healthy and able to work. When I moved to Nkanini in 2012 I was sewing clothes and going door to door selling them. But one day I woke up with a sharp pain in my waist. My waist became stiff and it was difficult to walk.”
The pain worsened along with her diminishing capacity to work. She said Ward 95 councillor Ayanda Tetani took money out of his own pocket and arranged for a flushing toilet to be installed in her shack to assist her.
She did have family, but they rarely visited or checked up on her.
Calls grow for City to prioritise her case
Tetani described Dyalivane’s situation as a serious matter. He said he has been trying to engage with City officials to prioritise her case.
“To be honest, Dyalivane is not supposed to be here. Anything can happen to her, and no one will be able to assist her. I will continue to inform City officials about her plight and ask them to come and see for themselves,” said Tetani.
