A wish for William
WELTEVREDEN PARK – Residents of Weltevreden Park try their best to help an elderly man in need.
For the past 25 years, William, a ‘resident’ of Weltevreden Park, has been living on the street.
Many do not know his name but he introduces himself as William and sits near the BP Garage on JG Strydom Road near Palm Court Shopping Centre. His only belongings are a plastic chair, frayed cushions and a broken crutch. Other items, such as a table and umbrella that were given to him by local residents, have been stolen from him.
Residents in the community wish to see him in a type of home or shelter where he will be taken care of, yet they do not know who to turn to for help.
William came to South Africa in 1961 and worked in the mines in Rustenburg and then moved to Johannesburg in 1964 and eventually retired. However, he does not know his age, but his ailments show he is an elderly gentleman who needs assistance.
Members of the community have reached out to him with food and items. One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, picks William up every evening and gives him a meal and a bed for the night; as well as a bath and fresh clothes at least once a week. “I found him one night sleeping in the rain and I felt sorry for him. I couldn’t leave him, as I could see he was soaking wet and full of mud. I had a room for him in my home and have been picking him up every night since last year,” the resident added.
The resident takes him back to his spot on the corner of JG Strydom and Fern roads so he is able to socialise with friends who visit him and make a little money from selling loose cigarettes from a box he buys at the garage.
William was involved in a car accident which has left his right hand crippled. An electrical accident has left him blind and old age prevents him from walking without support, which also makes bathing, toilet duties and changing clothes difficult. He does not speak English and relies on acts of kindness and the friends he has made to get him through.
One such friend is Colbert Mavhunga, who met William five years ago. Mavhunga’s work truck normally parks behind the BP Garage and he will visit William and buy him cigarettes. Mavhunga explained that because William is blind, he is cheated out of money for his cigarettes.
“We must find a home for him. If no one acted he would have been dead by now,” said the resident.
