POLOKO TAU
ELEVEN years ago, The Star published several stories about the plight of a young Soweto mother who was struggling to care for her quadruplets – two boys and two girls.
Readers and many other people opened their hearts and helped financially, as well as donating infant formula, groceries and clothes for Lindi Mdluli’s children, the “Soweto Quads”, boys Sipho and Simphiwe, and girls Jabu and Jabulile.
Mdluli, 35, said at the weekend while she appreciated the help she had received in their earlier years, she longed for the day she no longer needed to depend on handouts.
“Right now, I am not proud as a mother when I can’t even give one of my children just R5 for casual day at school. I love my children and want everything that is good for them, but life has not been easy since they were born,” Mdluli said.
She and her children, including her son Kutlwano, 14, share her mother’s Mzimhlophe house with 10 other family members.
“No one works in this house and we all depend on my mother’s pension, as well on the children’s monthly grants. The money is not enough to take care of the family… or the children,” said Mdluli.
“I would love to have a house for my children one day, but I have been unlucky since I applied for an RDP house few years back,” Mdluli said.
Mdluli suffered a stroke in 2002, which she blames on stress.
“I want to be there for my children and I need a job to do that. I can’t rely on handouts forever because people can’t help you without end,” she said.
“I have considered committing bad things, but realised I love my children too much to disappoint them. I stayed all this time, hoping something good in a form of a job will come, but nothing has happened and now I feel worthless to my children.”
Sipho and Simphiwe seemed content as they moved around the family’s four-roomed house in Mzimhlophe during a visit by The Star.
Jabu and Jabulile are in Grade 6, while Simphiwe and Sipho are in
Grade 4.
Dressed in similar bright-yellow T-shirts, the brothers sat with their mother as she spoke of their hard life. Jabu joined them
Mdluli’s eyes suddenly fill up with tears.
“Jabulile is the brightest of them all. She is in the Free State, where she is representing her school in some educational programmes,” she said.
“I could not even give Jabulile a cent for refreshment on her trip, and I feel bad every time I can’t help them. She needs so much financial support at school… I can’t help her advance her talents.”
Mdluli said she was looking for work in administration or a call centre job.
She said she had lost contact with her children’s father and that he had stopped assisting her financially a decade ago.
“I can’t rely on donations any more; I need a job so that I can… gain my pride as a mother,” she said.