This thorn among his roses has many scars
Even at 23:00 on a Friday night, motorists can spot this bubbly man prancing around with an admirable display of roses, sporting a contagious smile.
MBOMBELA – Roses are red, sometimes his life has been blue, but day and night, he will sell roses to you.
The corner of Van der Merwe and Mostert streets has a life of its own, thanks to him. Even at 23:00 on a Friday night, motorists can spot this bubbly man prancing around with an admirable display of roses, sporting a contagious smile. Benedict Ndlovu has been selling roses for 22 years and has become a fixture at this intersection. He always treats motorists and passers-by to a little dance with his roses in order to advertise them.
He moved here from Soweto in 1993 because, he says, there is more money for roses in this city than in Johannesburg.
However, it has still not been an easy or stable life. He sometimes struggles to make ends meet and some days, he throws away more roses than he sells.
“Life has been difficult,” he says, his signatory smile still intact. His right eye reflects his tough life. “This eye is dead.” He gestures to the scar on the top of his nose. “A bullet missed my nose and grazed my eye, blinding it.” Benedict was referring to an incident which happened on February 14, 2003. “Valentine’s Day is my busiest day. That night, a man walked up to me and shot me. Not only did he take the vision from my eye, but he also took all the money I had made that day, which was R4 000.”
Benedict lifts his shirt to show the elevated scar on his back. “One bullet penetrated my right shoulder and is still lodged in my shoulder blade.”
Despite the dangers that may come with his job, he says it is the right one for him because it keeps him honest.
“Sometimes I like this job, but not always. I don’t sell as many roses as I would like to.” Looking at the quality of his roses, it is hard to imagine why he struggles to sell them. He travels to Johannesburg for three days every week to buy fresh roses from a market. “They stay fresh for about 15 days then I throw them away.”
He charges R10 per rose, or a bunch of five for R40. Fridays are his busiest days, especially Friday nights.
“I stand here until 23:00 because people who go to the pub down the street at that time of the night tend to buy roses,” he laughs.
Even at that time of the night he will beam his radiant smile and curtsy to every car. “I’m not only friendly so I can sell my roses. I’m friendly because it is right. Despite all the bad that comes with it, this job makes me happy.”
