“The kids in Gugulethu many of whom are orphans have no place to live and no jobs and have taken to all forms of criminal acts. Crime is now very high. They go about attacking people snatching people’s bags and phones. The situation is really very bad and only God can help us” said Rombela who caters for eight of the street children.

Rombela lamented the high rate of employment in the country which according to her is getting worse due to many factors, including rural urban migration.

“The suffering has not being this bad and it is getting worse. Many people who went on exile are returning and there is limited work. Many are also coming from rural areas and everywhere, there are too many people who are jobless and the government has to quickly do something before the situation gets worse,” she added.

According to Rombela, the women in the Township have embarked on various forms of empowerment programmes but need government support, “what we are telling our women is that they should not just sit down but consider doing something. We are telling them to stand up and work for themselves,” she said.

Reverend Faleni Mzukisi of the Presbytarian Church of Africa in Nyanga, Cape Town also decried the high rate of poverty in the country despite its perceived affluence.

He said: “The impression that is created is that South Africa is the United States of Africa but majority of the people live below poverty level and cannot afford basic facilities”.
Mzukisi acknowledging that the country’s constitution has many provisions that guarantees basic human rights, he noted they amount to nothing when people are unable to live a good life.

“People don’t eat human rights. How do you preach to people who have not eaten and have no hope for any job” Mzukisi noted