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This week, in her Humans of Mzansi series, photojournalist Zahra Haider heads to downtown Joburg to meet the informal traders of Kerk Street and Park Station
Jabulane Bhengu
‘I’m from Soweto and I’m here in the street as a hustler, a street vendor.I’m selling crafts as an artist and I am trying to build our brand now that we are registered. I’m just trying to stay out of crime by being self-reliant.
I like to be independent and show that I have the wisdom to survive on my own as an artist. I can’t complain much, but the nation needs to recognise artists and uplift them.”
Cheikh Sock
‘I’ve been selling here for more than a decade. What I’ve learnt is that you can’t be lazy out here. You have to believe in yourself and work hard. The problem with some people is that they rely on alcohol and then they fail. I don’t mind working here because it’s much better now. There used to be no tent cover and it would rain on us and the winter was harsh, but we would keep selling.
My family is home in Senegal and one night I got really sick and some South Africans took me to the hospital. That’s why, if you’re good, you’re good. If you’re bad, you’re bad. In Islam, we say that the skin colour or nation of a person is neither good nor bad, only the heart can be either. Africa is Africa, it doesn’t matter where you come from.”
Thokozile Mazibuko
‘Iam who I am because of the people around me. If I fall, I know someone will come and pick me up. I enjoy selling at Park Station because it’s safe and I get along with everyone. I used to sell at the hospital and it was terrible. I would see people who just got stabbed being dragged into the building, their blood marking the floor. It was too much. The challenge here is that there are so many vendors that your goods have to be unique.
Make sure people understand that you are different. My hope for the future is to become a better person and to own my own home. I wish that God can give me courage to go through with all the plans I’ve made. This weekend I was crying a lot. Business is tough. My clothes aren’t selling like they used to. I hope things will start to look up.”
