The alcohol ban has not only dampened the spirits of many South Africans, but it has had terrible implications for those whose livelihoods depend on the bottles.
Palesa Dlamini and photographer Rosetta Msimango tell their stories.No booze. That was the directive from government following the strict Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown imposed on South Africa in March.
He told City Press: “The glass container industry contributes R11.83 billion in total to the national economy, which equates to 0.3% of South Africa’s gross domestic product. The glass container industry and related sectors employ about 26 300 people economy-wide .” Shakes Matiwaza, managing director of Isanti Glass, said: “Even under lockdown, our operating costs are very high as we have to keep the furnaces operating at a minimum of 50%. You can’t just switch a glass furnace on and off, so fixed costs such as energy and labour remain in place.“The industry is spending more than R8 million a day just maintaining its assets, but with no sales, except for about 15% output that goes to the food industry.
“To put the revenue loss in perspective: A loss of R285 billion in revenues would be larger than the R229.7 billion budget allocated for SA's health sector for 2020.” But the knock-on effects of the booze ban have affected those who live on the fringes of society the most.“I go through people’s bins as a way of making money to survive,” says Samuel Makgetha, who has been recycling as a source of income since 2007.
The alcohol ban has not only dampened spirits, but has also had adverse effects on those whose livelihoods depend on the bottles. City Press journalist Palesa Dlamini followed some of Johannesburg's recyclers and heard their stories. Video: Palesa Dlamini/City PressWaste picker Samuel Makgetha is struggling through the 5am chill. He prepares his trolley, which he calls his “carrier ride”, before embarking on the more than 10km walk from Doornfontein to Westbury, eastern Johannesburg.
“I’ve been doing this since 2007, when I came to South Africa from Lesotho. A friend from back home introduced me to it. I go through people’s bins as a way of making money to survive,” he says as he sets up his trolley, ready to fill it.As he opens the first bin, the father of one explains: “I’m looking for cardboard, plastic containers and bottles, mostly,” he says as he ruffles through the contents. They’re almost swallowing his head, which is dipped inside the bin.
“The amount of money I get from the scrapyards depends on how much each sack I bring in weighs and what items are in them,” he says as he tosses plastic cold drink bottles into the sack that is secured on his trolley. He’s suddenly joined by two women who greet him as they, too, begin to peruse the contents of the dustbins that surround him.
“The Pikitup trucks arrived earlier than usual today, so I wasn’t able to go through all the bins I wanted to. So I’m heading back home. It wasn’t a good day,” he says. Nokuthula Phuza goes through bins in the hope of finding clothes or food for her and her children. Today she finds a pair of broken shoes in a bin and slowly places them in a paper bag. Picture: Rosetta Msimango/City Press
“I mainly collect plastic bottles like those of cold drinks, milk, cleaning things like Domestos and such. I also collect cardboard boxes and iron,” he says as he works frantically. Daniel Mosia separates recyclable waste in rubbish bins in Westbury, Johannesburg. Picture: Rosetta Msimango/City Press While many of his counterparts return to store their day’s collectables, the 26-year-old says he decided not to go to work today.“I know I won’t find a lot of what I want to collect. Items have reduced drastically since the lockdown. Even at the scrapyard, where I sell what I’ve collected, the amount they give me per kilogram has gone down. I’m guessing they, too, have felt the effects of the lockdown,” he says as he takes a puff of his almost-dead cigarette.
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