ST AUGUSTINE'S MASOTSHENI ? IS IT JEALOUSY OR JUST BEING TERRITORIAL?

THE 1979 SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

Thami Masondo , my homeboy , had rather an unusual tendency of changing his surnames as he grew up . Thami Masondo , is how he was known to be , as a small boy . Just when we approached our teens , he became Thami Mabaso , and he referred to my mother , as his "Aunt " , because my mother's maiden name was Mabaso as well .

It didn't take long for Thami to desert the Mabaso clan , he changed " tune " once again , and became Thami Motha . I have never bothered to ask him , as to why he kept on changing his surnames , I guess , it never occupied my mind . My sisters and I would , sometimes , laugh when his name popped up in our general conversations at home , and specifically laugh at Thami's multiple name tags . To avoid any confusion , I will refer to him as Thami .

Thami's mother was working in Johannesburg , South Africa , as a domestic worker / House maid , for as long as I can remember . She was working in the then , White suburb of Linksfield , near Orange Grove . Thami spent most school holidays with his mother in Johannesburg , and would look for temporary jobs during his stay there .
This was a common practice , among teenager's whose parents or relatives worked in the urban areas during those days , to get themselves temporary jobs during school holidays . These teenagers would look for those temporary jobs , in order for them to buy themselves some necessities , like clothes , in some instances , even school uniforms .
In 1979 I had spoken to Thami about the prospect of joining him , when he left for Johannesburg for the December holidays of that year . He agreed and arranged with his mother , I also asked my mother for permission to go to Johannesburg with Thami and the permission was granted .

This was a difficult time in South Africa , especially for black people , who had been robbed of their citizenship by the Nationalist Party's Apartheid laws . With the creation of little pockets of Ethnic , self- governing states within South Africa , most black people were forced to reside in those homelands and upon going to " urban areas" to seek employment , they were expected to get work permits . I lived in KwaZulu , our territory had not taken full "Independence " , as it was referred to , but we were self-governing , like the rest of the other homelands , which had been established within South Africa . Like the rest of the other homelands , we were not regarded as South African citizens , and therefore were regarded as " persona non grata" in what was referred to as " white South Africa " . We were expected to get permits , whenever we moved around .
To use , a now world-wide known phenomenon , living in South Africa , as a black person , during the Apartheid era , could be compared to living in a "perpetual lockdown " , where your every movement is controlled and monitored indefinitely .

In my preparation to go to Johannesburg with Thami , I got my passbook stamped at school , with an endorsement , which stipulated that I was still a scholar and how long the school holdays woud have been . People who were already seeking permanent employment , they would be expected to get their permits , from the homeland's home affairs offices .
Once the schools were closed , Thami and I , left for Johannesburg . When we arrived in Johannesburg , my very first challenge was that , Thami's mother's employers were not supposed to know that I was going to be living with them , I needed to hide myself . This was going to be an enormous challenge , I had thought to myself . I was determined to find myself a temporary job , for the duration that I was going to be there , so I was prepared to make that sacrifice . Within two days of our arrival , a friend of Thami's mother came by , to say that there was a temporary job that was available for one of us . They suggested that I should be given first preference , I started on my temporary job the following morning , in Edenvale . The firm where I worked , was manufacturing lids for cooking oil plastic containers and several of other similar containers . There was another company , in the same yard , which produced wheel bearings . In fact , these two companies where owned by two brothers . We were sometimes expected to swap jobs , depending on the workload in each of those companies . My company's job was pretty easier to carry out , than the wheel bearings company . The other company dealt with heavy raw iron . Offloading a full truck load of raw iron , was killing , let alone , pushing a full load of raw iron in a wheelbarrow into the building . This was indeed taxing for a young boy of my age . I can still vividly remember those tough times , where I would have my lunch as quickly as I could , and sleep like a baby during the lunch break , until I'm awoken up by the siren when it was time to go back to work . We were paid weekly , I worked for three weeks that year , and just before Christmas , I went back home . I was able to buy myself two pair of trousers , which I liked so much . When our company closed for Christmas holidays , all its workers were given food hampers as Christmas presents . I gave mine to Thami's mother as a " thank you " token . I couldn't wait any longer to go back home and have my freedom of movement restored . My heart was already at home in St Augustine's Masotsheni , only my body was still in Johannesburg . Having to hide myself every night after work , had been a nightmare and extremely difficult to carry out . Going back home , with some pocket money and new outfit was the best consolation prize I ever had .