Ennerdale pensioner hopes party she votes for creates jobs for her unemployed children

An Ennerdale resident whose adult children are married but unemployed hopes that the party she votes for will create jobs so that her children can be self-sufficient and no longer have to depend on her pension.

Katrina Pretorius, 69, was part of the elderly community of Ennerdale, south of Johannesburg, who showed up in their numbers to cast their vote in the hope of changing the unemployment rate in the area.

By 10 am, the relatively long queue at the Ebenezer church was populated with older residents than the youth. 

However, as the morning went by, more young people were trickling in slowly. 

Speaking to Sowetan,

several residents said they wanted jobs for their loved ones and hoped that a change in government would assist.

For Pretorius, having to take care of her adult children has been difficult.

“I have two kids aged 29 and 33 and they are married and unemployed, it has been difficult because they rely on my pension. We are in a mess, Gauteng is in a mess, we just want jobs for the young people, even the doctors who are unemployed should get jobs,” said Pretorius.

“This is why I am here today to vote. We need leaders who will ensure that our children are employed. The fact that my children are unemployed hurts me a lot and the only way to change that is through voting,” said the 69-year-old.

Veronica Smith, 66, also echoed the same sentiments, saying she voted for jobs for young people as well as a hospital being built in the area.

“I want to see jobs for our young people, there is so much unemployment in Ennerdale as a whole.

“Young people do not work, so for me that is [the most important thing]. For them to get jobs,” she said.

Smith said she also wanted to see a hospital being built in Ennerdale.

“Why should we go out of the area if we want to go to a hospital? We have so much land here and we can develop it into a hospital. It would really help our community if we had all those things in Ennerdale.”

Kenlin Sanderson, 40, who came to the voting station clad in his favorite party’s T-shirt said the party was “transparent” and had plans to deal with crime.

“They [party leaders] are very open, they don’t keep things away from us. I feel the party I am voting for will give us back the law, crime will decrease, and people will get jobs. Our country has a very high unemployment rate, so all of this, we are hoping for change,” he said.

chabalalaj@sowetan.co.za