Esiphethweni Section’s Mam’Rebecca gives homeless twins a place to stay

Compassion and humanity are essential human qualities often categorised as ubuntu.

Ubuntu was practiced by Rebecca Phathakge (59) who took it upon herself to rescue homeless twins Amanda and Denise Grobler from Randfontein last week.

When Rebecca from Esiphethweni Section in Tembisa, preferred to be referred to as Mam’Rebecca, woke up on April 17, she didn’t know her day’s activities would include meeting the twins, as she had intended to visit The Tembisan offices on Monument Road and Clicks at Cavendish Glen.

“Heading home, I saw three homeless men attacking Amanda and Denise at the traffic lights near the shopping centre’s entrance,” said Mam’Rebecca.

“All I saw at that moment was women abuse. I stopped the fight but couldn’t leave them there. One doesn’t know what could happen if the men saw them again. I felt the need to practice ubuntu.”She paid their taxi fares and took them to her home in Tembisa, offering them a place to stay while they were down and out.

Amanda and Denise (47) have been on the streets for three months.

“I ran an antique business but had a nervous break-down shortly after my father died,” said Amanda. “I fell ill and my business suffered, which resulted in me having to sell it for next to nothing.”

Over time, the twins lost their property, car and everything else and were only left with their clothes and each other.

“We have been travelling since, looking for shelter and landed in Kempton Park. We had hope we would find work this side but unfortunately we couldn’t,” explained Amanda.

“We hoped to get car guard jobs but it is difficult to find jobs, especially when you don’t have clean clothes. We would ask and beg and it would take a whole day for us to get money for food.”

Denise and Amanda told Express they had lost hope until they met Mam’Rebecca.

“We are still shocked, but very grateful. It has been a tough three months being on the streets,” said a teary Amanda.

Denise, who was just as emotional as her sister, said: “We couldn’t believe it when she told us she would give us shelter and food. People like Mam’Rebecca are hard to find and what she is doing for us today is huge.”

The emotional twins hugged each other and turned to hug Mam’Rebecca, who kept encouraging them to stop crying as everything would be okay.

Denise appealed to the community to assist with donations of clothes and food as they would be looking for jobs. They can’t leave everything to Mam’Rebecca, they said.

“I have sales and property sales experience and am able to build and repair wheelchairs. Denise is a registered security guard and has worked at an orphanage,” said Amanda as she wiped away her tears.

For more information, call Mam’Rebecca on 071 251 1195.