SOUTH AFRICA'S TV WEBSITE
SIGN IN SEARCH MENU
SOUTH AFRICA'S TV WEBSITE


Episode 24: Sncedeni - Help Us (27June)

Written by TVSA Team from the blog Special Assignment on 26 Jun 2006
Favourite this post


Broadcast Details

Show: Special Assignment VIII
Episode Title: Sncedeni - Help Us
Date: Tuesday, 27 June, 2006
Time: 21h30
Channel: SABC 3

------------------------------------------------
eps24_1Maintenance is an emotional issue at the best of times. As if the stress of compelling ex-husbands to pay through a court order isn’t enough, many women also face a different battle.

Instead of going through the simple process of collecting the money at a maintenance office every month, they find themselves queuing for hours, in vain.

Celia Khalo is one of them. She’s lost count of how long she’s spent standing outside the Ga-Rankuwa Court in the North-West Province.

“It’s like going to hell… and the kids will be waiting for you – ‘Mummy’s coming home with the money’ – and when you come home – eish – no money!”

R750 is deducted from her ex-husband’s salary every month by his employer. Yet it never reaches her. She’s even taken the pay slips to the maintenance office as proof.

“There’s no explanation – they just say: ‘There’s no money!’ Just like that. Maybe for the first month I could say it’s a mistake. But for the second, third and fourth month, the same mistake? No!” Now she is regretting that she trusted the state to get her maintenance money for her.

Husband Ezekiel Matlala is also suspicious. Ezekiel has himself gone to the Ga-Rankuwa court and confirmed that the money has been paid in. But it doesn’t seem to help. “Now I have to pop up more money every month,” he says. “And my money is there at the court – someone is chowing the money.”

This scenario isn’t confined to Ga-Rankuwa. Women in the Vaal Triangle have similar complaints – and the way they are treated by maintenance officials makes the situation worse. “They are playing with us… every time we come here we stand for a long time in the queue, from 6am to midday, then they yell: ‘There’s no money!’ They yell at you!”

eps24_2It’s no different in the Eastern Cape. Nomampondo Mngeni says she’s had enough. “I am here to fetch the money which is by rights my daughter’s money. They make us feel like we are begging for money. Like it’s their money and it’s not! It’s our right to be respected as citizens of this country… they treat us like dogs!”

The Justice Department says delays are largely due to a lack of “capacity”. NGOs working at the courts say it’s more a lack of will, skill and a poor system.

“Sncedeni” is the sad tale of the way women are treated by public servants, whose watchword is meant to be ‘batho pele’ – people first.

It’s written and produced by Jessica Pitchford, with camerawork by Jan de Klerk and Ivan Oberholzer



Comments


Only TVSA members can reply to this thread. Click here to login or register.






LATEST ARTICLES

New on TV today: Saturday 19 July 2025

Mockumentary comedy St. Denis Medical debuts on M-Net and Dark Side of the Ring returns to eReality.


On Carte Blanche: fake cremation ashes of loved ones

It's one of our worst fears and something we've always been suspicious of. How do you know ashes are legit?


Scandal! Teasers - August 2025

Mthunzi has to accept the deal on the table but then he strikes gold and all bets are off.


Yosef Teasers - August 2025

Yosef gets saved by a stranger and Sultan has a cunning plan to get rid of Kiraz.


New on TV today: Friday 18 July 2025

The only new show today is a run of Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf Coast on Disney+.


Skemergrond character portrait: Denver Vraagom as Dominee Wayne Ackerman

Seven years sober and Denver's taking on the role of Mr Hallelujah.


Soulmates Teasers - August 2025

Chiti secretly films Sachin, framing him as a drunk driver, and the vid goes viral.


New on TV today: Thursday 17 July 2025

SA is featured in Surf Girls International on Prime Video and M-Net unpacks an Anatomy of Lies.


2025 Emmy Awards Popcorn Pack

The headline nominees, other interesting ones, overall tallies and a giggle.


Anupama Teasers - August 2025

Prem and Rahi host a fun cricket match, bringing both families together for a joyful time.

LATEST SITE ACTIVITY


More activity at TVSA Central



LATEST SOAPIE TEASERS



LATEST SOAPIE TEASERS





×
×

You browser doesn't have Flash, Silverlight, Gears, BrowserPlus or HTML5 support.