Michael strives to earn a living
He has been filling potholes in Scottburgh to try and earn money for food.
Michael Msambeso is one of the many homeless people in the mid-South Coast area looking for a way to generate an income to see another day.
He has been living on the streets for around seven years and cannot recall the last time he slept in a house and ate a proper home cooked meal.
Michael noticed several other vagrants around Scottburgh and Park Rynie filling potholes and being rewarded by locals for doing so. He has since decided to try doing this himself in Scottburgh, to see if it can potentially better his situation.
“I started filling potholes because I want everyone to see that I am trying to help them on the roads, and I hope they will then be able to help me,” he said.
“Whenever people see me working, they give me a little money and I use it to buy bread or cigarettes because these things keep me going and I cannot afford anything else.”
Michael stated that he does not use drugs as he is trying to do better and wants to avoid things that will worsen his existing health conditions which includes asthma.
He acknowledged that smoking was bad for his health, but said that he is in a position where he cannot quit the habit.
“Some people don’t want to give me money because they think I might buy drugs, so if they can’t do that, I will also appreciate clothes or food being donated,” he added.
“It is getting colder on the streets at night and I don’t have jackets or a warm blanket.”
Michael said that he recently spent four days without any food because he had no money and pleads to the local community to help him survive.
There are understandably no contact details for Michael, but he is usually spotted in the Scottburgh area. Last weekend, he was seen filling the potholes near the golf course.
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