By Buziwe Nocuze
- A Cape Town father lost his gardening job after his employers relocated overseas, leaving him without income.
- He now survives by pushing grocery trolleys at a mall, charging small fees while facing theft, harsh weather and hunger at home.
For more than 10 years, Mzimasi Takata, 45, worked as a gardener in Cape Town and built his life around that job.
Everything changed when his employers relocated to England.
“I had been working for them for more than 10 years. When they told me they were leaving, I knew my life was about to change,” Takata said.
With six children to support and no savings, Takata began searching for work immediately, but nothing came.
That is when he went to a local mall and noticed people helping customers carry groceries.
“When I arrived, there were already two young men doing it. At first, I didn’t even have a trolley. I was carrying groceries with my hands,” he said.
Some customers were suspicious at first and worried he might run off with their shopping. Over time, he managed to get a trolley and slowly built trust with regular customers.
Takata charges different amounts depending on how far customers live.
“I don’t charge too much because I don’t want to chase people away. Sometimes I start from R20,” he said.
He arrives at the mall as early as 10am to catch morning shoppers.
“Being early helps because by the time others arrive around 1pm, I’ve already made some money,” he said.
But the job comes with serious risks. Takata says criminals sometimes attack them while they are escorting customers home.
“They take groceries, especially meat and polony. You can’t fight back because you don’t want to get hurt,” he said.
Bad weather is another challenge.
“When it’s too cold or too hot, I get sick. On rainy days, people don’t shop much, so there’s no money,” he said.
Despite everything, Takata uses what he earns to feed his family.
“For now, we eat meat once a month. Most days it’s soup, cabbage, onions and tomatoes,” he said. “Meat is not basic. We can survive without it.”
Pictured above: Trolley’s.
Image source: Pexels
