Women of Xhorha Still Wait Outside Mandela’s Home for a Lift to Sell Scrap

In Qunu, the Eastern Cape village where Nelson Mandela was born and later built his home, groups of women sit on the grass across the road every day. Thirty years after South Africa became a democracy, they wait in the rain for a lift to Durban so they can sell the scrap metal they have collected. For many, it is the only way to make money.

The women come from small towns around Xhorha and other nearby areas. They gather scrap such as old metal, pots, and pieces of furniture. Then they sit opposite Tata Mandela’s house, hoping a truck or bakkie will stop and give them a ride. Some wait for days. Others wait for weeks. When the weather is bad, they still sit there because they have no other choice.

Many of the women say there is little work near their homes. Farming projects that once helped families have stopped, and jobs in the area are hard to find. Selling scrap in Durban gives them some cash to buy food and pay for basics. The trip is long and the wait is hard, but they keep coming back.

Qunu is known across the world as the place where Mandela dreamed of a free and equal South Africa. Visitors still come to see his house and the museum. Yet for the women sitting on the grass, daily life remains a struggle. They watch cars pass while they hope for the next lift.

The Eastern Cape has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. In rural places like Qunu, many people rely on informal work such as collecting and selling recyclables. The women say they would prefer steady jobs closer to home, but for now this is what they do.

Local residents say the situation has been like this for years. The women continue to arrive with their bags of scrap, sit opposite Mandela’s house, and wait. For them, the promise of a better life is still something they wait for in the rain.

Source: https://x.com/SABCNews/status/2121943741669761148?a=KAIgDQpIMu5lNuo_5O4&s=19