VENDOR OF THE MONTH: Nozuko Mabohlo

VENDOR NUMBER: 2092

LOCATED AT: Cavendish Square

Nozuko Mabohlo knew she was different when she lost her ability to speak three years ago. But this was not something that could be treated by conventional doctors. It was “the calling” — a sign from her ancestors that she had been chosen to become a sangoma, a traditional African healer.

Since then Nozuko has been a thwasa (trainee), performing the ceremonies and rituals necessary to help her complete her transformation.

But rewind to four years ago when Nozuko lost her job as a supervisor at a footwear factory in her home town of Dimbaza in the Eastern Cape and decided to try to find work in Cape Town. She arrived penniless and facing a tough  employment market where jobs were scarce.

She soon turned to The Big Issue and, since being badged up, Nozuko has built up a steady customer base and managed to balance her sangoma training with working at her pitch from Monday to Saturday. Sundays she reserves for helping community members in need of healing or advice.

“My customers give me strength to continue on my journey and selling the magazine allows me to pay for ceremonies and support myself and my family in the Eastern Cape.”

Earning a steady income has also come as a relief to Nozuko: “A weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”

She speaks slowly and gesticulates a lot, thinking carefully about every answer and focusing on the positive. This, she explains, comes from her faith and her belief that she is exactly where she should be: “I believe that God is on my side and that what I need to do will go smoothly because it is meant to happen.”

Much of what Nozuko stands for is rooted in a deep altruism and she wants to make it clear that she is becoming a sangoma for the “right reasons”.

“Now I just act as a prophet and give advice, but after December when I can officially call myself a sangoma, I really just want to be able to help people. It’s not about robbing people of their hard-earned money,” she reiterates.

Until then, Nozuko can be found at her pitch six days a week, working hard to fulfil her destiny.

SHOOTING FROM THE HIP

When I’m alone: I love to save electricity, light candles and pray
South Africans must: remember that we are a spirited country. We must be proud of our sport teams even if they don’t win trophies
My family knew I was different because: I used to put a white ‘doek’ on for church and tell the preacher to stop preaching so that we could sing my favourite hymns
One interesting thing about the calling is: I always know when people are waiting for me at home
I would like my customers to: understand who I am and what the calling means. I’m going to take photos in December so that I can show them what I look like as a sangoma

ON THE PITCH: Thunyiswa Pilisani

VENDOR NUMBER: 1663

LOCATED AT: Buitengracht Street, Cape Town

Thunyiswa Pilisani is a pillar of strength for her two sons Mvuyo, 20, and Mzuvumile, 17. Everything she does is for them, and her aim is to teach them how to be the best men they can be.

Hailing from Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape, Thunyiswa came to Cape Town deter-mined to make a better life for her children. When she could not find the work she so anxiously sought, Thunyiswa tried desperately to make ends meet by selling chips and sweets in her community. But it wasn’t enough to provide for her growing sons and, in her quest to find a better and more stable form of income, she came to The Big Issue in 2004.

Thunyiswa’s days follow a fairly regular schedule: “When I get to my pitch at about 8am I usually have to chase the people who don’t belong there away and then I start selling. When it gets quiet, I sit and rest and enjoy my lunch while chatting to other vendors. After that it usually gets very busy and then it’s just sell, sell, sell until about 7pm.”

The steady income she earns from selling the magazine has made a great difference in her life, she says, adding that even on “bad days” she manages to sell a couple of magazines.

Joining The Big Issue’s Women’s Group has also given her a great sense of strength and camaraderie, says Thunyiswa. “The things that we learn in the group are important and relevant. I really enjoy being with the other women, having the opportunity to share our stories and draw strength from the other women who understand my story.”

SHOOTING FROM THE HIP

My biggest struggle has been: Since my father passed away, life has been more difficult. I miss him and it really makes me sad to only have one parent
My hope for the future: I want to give my sons a house that we can all live in, one that we own.  And if my sons could get good jobs they could buy us a house in the suburbs and we could see the view from ‘up there’
The most important thing my mother taught me is: that a woman ought to keep herself; sleeping around will only destroy your soul

VENDOR IN WAITING: Siyabonga Bobo

VENDOR NUMBER: 2685

LOCATED AT: Buitengracht Street, Cape Town

Siyabonga Bobo believes that obtaining his learner’s licence was merely the first step towards creating a brighter future for himself and his young family.

“Now that I am a father I must do everything that I can to give my son, one-year-old Siyabonga Jr, a happy and safe life and the way to do that is it to improve my prospects,” he says.

By booking an appointment to take his code 10 (heavy vehicle) driver’s licence, he’s already halfway through the next step in his plan to become a driver for a freight transport company, and now just needs to raise the money to hire a truck for the test.

“I am not afraid of driving trucks because I have knowledge about cars. If I hear a knock or the clutch breaks I can fix it. It will be challenging and interesting,” he says.

Siyabonga, who was studying to become an auto-electrician but had to quit when he could no longer afford to attend classes, eventually hopes to save enough money through truck-driving to be able to open up his own workshop.

“I was fitting alarms and immobilisers by the age of 17. That first job I had in the industry proved to me that I have what it takes to be really good. I just need the opportunity to prove myself to others,” he says.

Siyabonga has been selling the magazine for three years now and, although he’s ready to move on, leaving The Big Issue will be hard for him.

“Selling is an amazing thing, meeting people is so wonderful and I really love my customers. I enjoy it too much and don’t want to just abandon my customers,” he says.

SHOOTING FROM THE HIP

My favourite book is: A Long Walk to Freedom — I started reading it one day and I couldn’t even go out and sell, I just had to finish it
My hero is: my father. Today I look at fathers and they are all too busy drinking to take care of their children; my father made sure that we had a roof over our head after he was gone. He was a hero
If I could buy any gift for my son it would be...a library full of encyclopaedias — because knowledge is power