Mziwamadoda Xegwana (42) knew Jestlene van Rooi (37) was the woman he wanted to marry the moment he saw her working as a general worker at an establishment in Camps Bay two years ago.

But first, he had to find a way to strike up a conversation with her. Xegwana, popularly known as Blacks, came up with an unusual plan.

He deliberately soaked his clothes in water, hung them on a nearby tree and approached Van Rooi, asking her to keep an eye on them to prevent them from being stolen.

At the time, Xegwana had been living on the streets for almost 13 years. The wet clothes may have been a trick, but the love story that followed was real.

Today (19 October), the couple sealed their love by tying the knot at Camps Bay Christian Life Church.

Love Story

Van Rooi admits that she didn’t find his request unusual.

“He told me he had to go to town and would come and get the clothes when he returned. He also asked me if he could get me anything in town. I declined and told him I would watch his clothes.”

However, Xegwana seemingly returned too late. Before leaving work for the day, Van Rooi instructed a colleague to ensure he collected his clothes. To her surprise, when she returned to work the following week, she was told that Xegwana had never collected them because he was waiting for her.

The pair eventually formed a relationship. Van Rooi admitted that they were both struggling with drug addiction at the time.

She was living with her parents and young child in Bonteheuwel but spent most of her time with Xegwana, eventually moving into a tent with him.

“I lived with him there for about four months. Then I told him living in a tent was cold and that I wanted to get off the streets. I told him I was considering moving into a shelter and asked him to come with me.”

Recovery Journey

During this time, they were approached by Fiona Bosch, reintegration manager at Ignisive, a Camps Bay-based organisation that aims to reintegrate people living on the streets in the area into society.
Bosch helped them secure placement at Safe Space 2 in the City Bowl.

Van Rooi expressed her gratitude to Bosch, whom she said helped them regain control of their lives.

“She (Fiona) is not a woman who gives up on us easily. If it wasn’t for her and God, I don’t know where we would be. She never gave up on us. She stood by us. Fiona knows how grateful I am to her. She even ensured we were able to live together at the shelter.”

At the shelter, the couple began their recovery journey by attending rehabilitation programmes, a process Van Rooi admitted was not without challenges.

“She also attended programmes at Ignisive, and that helped us and made us stronger. We are currently just focusing on the programme that we are on, and neither of us are on drugs.”

Through the Ignisive programme, the couple are now employed as car guards in the Camps Bay area.
Xegwana said he did not regret the day he met Van Rooi.

“I am happy. She has changed my life in many ways. I would not be here today if I did not meet her.”

The wedding

The wedding took place at Camps Bay, with good Samaritans from the community sponsoring the ceremony, the couple’s attire, makeup and other arrangements.

On Monday morning, Van Rooi woke up to a hair and nail appointment ahead of her big day.

Ignisive founder Theresa Massaglia said she had always encouraged Xegwana to leave the streets and move into a shelter.

She expressed pride in Xegwana and Van Rooi, saying their recovery journey serves as an inspiration to others.

Massaglia also thanked the community for rallying together to give the couple the wedding of their dreams.

For Van Rooi, the wedding was a dream she could hardly believe had come true.
“I want to express my gratitude to the people in the Camps Bay community for helping us. ” she said.

Encouraging others experiencing homelessness and substance abuse to seek help, Van Rooi said: “Just focus, the road is tough but seek help. There are people willing to help.”

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