Homeless, destitute man lives in a toilet

Steven Klukowski

KöES  – Whilst it is a given for most of us to live under a decent shelter, the same cannot be said about a man living in a place where other people normally relieve themselves.

It was indeed a heart-breaking experience for this reporter to witness such a sad and harsh reality. During a recent visit to Köes village, New Era came across Adab Johannes Windstaan who for more than a year has been living in a toilet.
“When it is night time I move my bed and mattress outside to sleep under a nearby tree, but when it rains I am forced to sleep in the toilet,” said Windstaan. Inside the toilet are his mere belongings including a plastic bag containing a bit of maize meal as his only means of food.

According to Windstaan he and his brother used to stay in a shack constructed from corrugated iron on the erf, and his brother left him the shack as an inheritance last year. 

“Unfortunately, my brother’s son came and broke down the structure in order to erect it on his erf,” Windstaan informed New Era. He furthermore said that he has abandoned his right to ownership of the shack on advice from his family.
This man in addition narrated that he normally engages in odd jobs like cleaning the yard of the nearby hostel in return for food as a means of making a living.

“It is my greatest wish to have a shelter of my own one day, but I do not have money to buy materials in order to put up my own shack,” Windstaan emphasised.

He concluded by stating that he will welcome any kind of assistance from those who are more fortunate in order to make his dream become a reality one bright day.

Both the chief executive officer and chairperson of Köes Village Council were engaged in meetings when contacted to comment on this issue at the time of going to press.