Project name: Alternative History Project
Date of interview: 2007-06-12
Location of interview: Maandagshoek, Limpopo
Language of interview: Sotho
Name of Interviewer/s: Dale McKinley & Ahmed Veriava
Name of Interviewee/s: Veronica Matsie & Nkele Manyanga
Name of translator: Emmanuel Mokgoga
Name of transcriber: Moses Moremi
Audio file name: AHP_MAA_MatsieVeronicaManyangaNkele_20070612 INTERVIEW WITH VERONICA MATSIE & NKELE MANYANGA.
Dale McKinley (DM): Thank you very much for talking to us, just quickly tell us your full name please?
Veronica Matsie (VM): My name is Veronica Matsie.
DM: How old are you?
VM: 30.
DM: How was life pre-1994 in this community especially in relation to health-care issues?
VM: Sexual related diseases such as HIVAIDS were rare.
DM: And you, Start by telling us your full name and when were you born?
NM: Nkele Itumelemg Manyaga- 0798737628. I am a carer. I was born in 1978. Before democracy we didn't exactly know the cause of the diseases, our children could get sick but didn't really get the suitable treatment for different diseases. Nurses were just giving out medications to patients without necessarily knowing the cause or the exact and/or fair disease.
DM: Were you (when you were 15 or 16 years old) interested in health issues in the community or did it just come late? What kind of job did you want to do after matric?
VM: Yes.
DM: What is it that you wanted to do after your matric?
VM: I wanted to be a nurse.
NM: I wanted to be a social worker.
AV: Pre-1994 (around 1990-1992) were you happy about the future since apartheid was coming to an end?
VM: Happy believing that the new government will be beneficial and be merciful to us as our needs will be met.
NM: Happy thinking that at least a leader is going to be a better person and at least he will resolved and help us progress.
DM: What were the specific things you were thinking will change? What were you dreaming would happen in your community? At that moment?
VM: We wished for development and progression in our community. New government is doing nothing. Shouldn't only focus on the urban areas but also in the rural areas. Good education and technological advancement.
NM: Good decent educational facilities like private school instead of taking our children to poor schools.
DM: What were your dreams as a young woman?
NM: We wanted industrial development so that they will be more job creations, especially building of factories for our future children.
VM: I wanted to see myself working, having a better future and be able to raise my children
AV: What were the things that were worrying you at that time or point of life. Lets say I was your best friend ... what would you tell me everyday?
VM: The fear of being jobless.
AV: What were exciting things that were fascinating you when you were a young girl? Around 1994, what kinds of things were you talking about with your friends?
VM: Having electricity instead of using candles, land-line phones and access to water.
NM: Having good roads, we can't reach bakeries because of bad conditions of our roads. Not going to manage to go to town because of bad traveling.
AV: What were you doing in this community for your social life when you were 18years.Going out?
VM: There was nowhere to go. Sit at home because of lack of entertainment.
AV: Do you think diseases like HIVAIDS are being perpetuated by the fact that there is lack of development and\or poverty?
VM: Yes-sex is the only thing that they can entertain themselves. In other words, sexual intercourse in our community is like a hobby. Boys promise to give money so our young girls have no choice.
NM: If there were more of entertainment facilities, our youngersters will be busy focusing more on sports facilities.
DM: Did you see positive changes after 1994?
VM: No-there are no changes. Nothing new.
NM: Even in the mines instead of employing local people, (they employ) foreigners.
DM: What are the changes about the clinic?
VM: First it was a hospital; they have vacated the hospital because of these gravel roads.
D.M: Who is responsible for this lack of development in post-apartheid society? Who's fault is it?
VM: Our government, and the president. For instance, he doesn't even wish to visit and see our conditions. We wish our president can one day visit us and see our standards of living instead of reading in the newspapers.
NM: We wish the system can be taken by the white people because they are better, at least they can think for us
DM: After 7 years of the arrival of the mines and the promises and benefits, what did you expect of the mines?
VM: That they can at least improve our standards of living, our children can be able to be employed and more of job creation, unfortunately this is not taking place
DM: Why is this not happening?
VM: We are saying this because we can see that the mines are doing nothing and we are employed.
NM: Because of Patrice Motsepe, he promised so much and nothing is happening. He promised to build stadiums; good infrastructures and water. Since he hasn't fulfilled his promises, he no longer visits us.
DM: How has the arrival of the mines affecting your work as volunteers since 2001? What is the involvement in health-care issues?
VM: Sex and crime rates have increased because some people in the mines are not working therefore they steal. Some mine workers did not come with their spouses so they have multiple affairs with some of our community members even though some of them are married.
NM: Some of the mine workers are now residing in our villages, they increase cheating since they are hiring in our houses. This increases HIVAIDS.
DM: Is the community aware of the diseases? Do you think that health education is really making awareness?
VM: Yes they know, because of our work.
DM: How do they know, because of your work?
VM: Yes.
AV: Is the health education being effective?
VM: A lot has decreased.
NM: People know about the diseases.
AV: How big is the problem of drinking bad water in this community? Do you make awareness about water conditions?
VM: We do make awareness about bad water; they should at least boil the water before they drink.
DM: Is the Infant mortality rate high?
VM: The death rate is low.
DM: Do you think a lot of people have enough to eat?
VM: No People don't have enough.
DM: Why do people eat less?
VM: Non-balanced diet.
DM: What are people mostly easting?
VM: Eat meal and vegetables. We hardly eat meat.
NM: A lot of people do not have enough to eat. We mostly see this during our sick visits
D.M: What is your opinion of the department of health workers and the municipality. What can they do to improve the conditions of living?
VM: Give people food-parcels to orphans. They used to give food parcels to orphans but since people are receiving R200, the government has stopped.
DM: If I were to ask you, what do you think are the two most important things that can be done in order to improve the health situation of this community?
VM: More of accessible communal taps. Provide us more of garden to cultivate vegetables.
NM: We wish government can help us in terms of providing food daily so that we can cook food for our orphans.
Veronica Matsie & Nkele Manyanga; 2007-06-12; 1
Biography: Veronica Matsie thirty years old, and Ngele Manyanga twenty-nine years old at the time of the interview, were chosen by the care-givers group to conduct a separate interview. Both women were born and raised in Maandagshoek and after completing matric wanted to become social workers. They volunteered for the home-based care programme in the hope that they would be able to become qualified, full-time social workers, but this has not happened. They continue to see to the various social and health needs of individuals and families in the community as part of the larger group and identified HIV AIDS and lack of proper nutrition as two of the main problems.
Description: This interview with volunteer care-givers Veronica Matsie and Nkele Manyanga was conducted by Dale McKinley and Ahmed Veriava in Maandagshoek in 2007 as part of the South African History Archive's Alternative History Project, titled 'Forgotten Voices in the Present'.
Date: June 12, 2007
Location: Maandagshoek, Limpopo, Republic of South Africa