The dark truth: Poverty’s shame leading to tragic choices

Poverty is humiliating. Those without income are often forced to endure nasty remarks as they beg relatives and neighbours for a plate of food just to survive.

Sadly, in South Africa, the shame of starvation has driven parents to kill their own children and then commit suicide.

The latest incident was that of Bongeka Buso, 38, who apparently killed her three kids and herself at Tholeni village in the Eastern Cape last year.

Police said they believed she had poisoned the younger two, aged five and eight years old, and stabbed the 14-year-old before taking her own life, due to starvation.

There are several similar cases. One was a woman in Witbank, Mpumalanga, who murdered her four children in 2019 because she was battling to take care of them financially. They often had to beg to eat.

ALSO READ: Road Accident Fund warns it won’t pay people who throw themselves at cars

Whenever we report on such incidents it leaves me heartbroken for these mothers who resort to taking life because of poverty. It shows the cruelty of the shame and stigma associated with poverty that leaves the poor feeling alone and not valued by society.

However, nothing could have prepared me for the Road Accident Fund (RAF) statement about people throwing themselves at moving vehicles to get injured and claim from the scheme. The fund said it was a trend. Pedestrians waited “for vehicles to slow down so they don’t get killed on impact before throwing themselves”.

“This behaviour is dangerous and adds pressure to the fund, which must assess and investigate claims of rightful claimants efficiently,” RAF said.

“The RAF does not compensate someone who intentionally causes a vehicle accident, even if this results in serious injuries. In the event of death, the RAF further does not compensate beneficiaries of those who are the authors of their own misfortune.”

Shocking. I could not believe that there were people who were deliberately getting themselves injured in order to claim from the RAF. Are the living conditions that bad that people would risk being confined to a wheelchair just to make a quick buck? That’s extreme.

ALSO READ: WATCH: ‘Social compact abandoned’ – Thabo Mbeki paints grim picture of South Africa

The fund tried to rationalise the behaviour by saying it “acknowledged road users may be faced with socioeconomic challenges”.

Yes, SA is facing high unemployment, currently at 32.1%, and poverty. According to Statista, as of 2024, 13.2 million people in SA are living in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at $2.15 (R38.40) daily.

But that does not justify people getting hurt just to claim and the RAF is correct to reject such claims. The claimants are committing a crime and belong in jail with other criminals.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation State of Road Safety Report for the period 1 January to 31 December, 2023 revealed that SA recorded 10 180 fatal crashes in 2023 which resulted in 11 883 deaths.

One would think such statistics would scare motorists and pedestrians. But, clearly, when one is salivating for the RAF millions, who cares about being in a vegetative state?

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa admits poverty challenges persist despite progress over 30 years [VIDEO]

Life might be tough now, but that does not mean it will not turn around. Do not injure yourself. Apply for a social relief of distress grant, If you have children get them social grants. Keep applying for jobs. Do not resort to crime to survive. It never pays.