By Palesa Matlala
- Mam-thembu, 56, sells cow heels in Mapetla and Naledi from 10pm to 4am, making R4,700 per month from each stall.
- Some residents accused Mam-thembu and other mothers of selling drugs, but she says they make an honest living working at night.
Over twenty Soweto mothers sell spicy cow heels and heads known as babalaze remedy through the night. One of them is Mam-thembu, 56, who operates between 10pm and 4am.
The mother of three and grandmother of four started selling cow heels over ten years ago to support her family. She has stalls in Mapetla and Naledi.
She serves customers from clubs at midnight, night shift workers, families who live nearby and motorists driving by. Over the years, customers from Alexandra, Kibler Park and the Vaal have placed orders and collected them. Some she only met once.
She never imagined her business would grow over the years.
“When I started my business, people used to ask me if I wasn’t scared of being mugged? But I was more focused on making money and feeding my family,” she said.
Because she works at night, she had to build relationships with community policing forum members and young men from her area who keep an eye on her stalls.
She makes R4,700 per month from each stall.
But she has faced challenges.
“Some residents have accused us of selling drugs. They say there’s no way we can sit throughout the night selling food,” she said.
The mothers have a system to protect each other. “We are mothers, trying to make an honest and decent living,” she said.
In cold seasons, the mothers dress warmly with blankets over their knees and light fires to keep warm.
Pictured above: Soweto.
Image source: Soweto.co.za
