The other day, someone on News24 acted as a proxy for workers living in squatter camps. Here's another side to that particular story.
'It's six AM, and I am on my way to technikon. I'm studying engineering, and while I have a student loan to cover my studies, there are also living expenses to cover.
That means that my day is going to be long. Very long. I probably won't even get home until well after midnight.
After I reach the technikon, I will spend all day in class.
Then I will get on a bus and travel to my job. I work as a waiter nearly every night, to make enough money to pay for my accomodation and living expenses.
My parents try to help as much as they can, but my dad's been unemployed for a while thanks to AA and EE, so things are tight at home.
I know that while I am working, there will be wealthy people of all races treating me like dirt. It bothers me sometimes, but most of the time I don't care. I'm not doing this for them.
I've only got another year to go before I get my BTech, but I'm already worried.
Because I am white, there's a good chance that even if I finish top of the class, I might not get a job right away, or at all. I couldn't get a bursary for that reason.
Entry level positions in most companies just aren't available for people like me, and working for any government department is something that will never happen unless I get a full skin transplant.
I'm worried because when I do qualify, I'll have to start paying back those student loans, and there's a good chance I'll spend many more years working as a waiter to make the payments.
Maybe I should just leave once I have a qualification, and go somewhere where I'll actually be able to use it?'
So there you have it - the other side of that particular story. No less depressing, is it?
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