Ethel - Life As A Female Car Guard

It was last year around Christmas, that I saw Ethel for the first time. She is the only female car guard I know.

May be, in the bigger South African cities there are more women who earn a living like this, but not in East London.

Two days ago I saw her again, sitting on the small wall at the Esplanade in Quigney. I stopped to have a chat with her.

Ethel works in the area around the Wimpy. Although the sky was of the brightest beautiful South African blue and the ocean was calm and looked like in the Mediterranean, this day the Esplanade had a lonely and deserted feel. Municipal workers were setting up the yearly Christmas decorations on the street lights.

She is close to seventy years old, but does not know her real age. Everyday she travels from Mdantsane, NU2, where she lives, to the Esplanade. 

Last year she got hit by a car on the road and severly injured. She spent several weeks in hospital. She has what she calls, a big plate in her right chest, which is very painful often. Since then she walks with her upper body bent to one side.

" The doctors told me that I will have to go to the hospital again to have the plate removed because something is not right, " Ethel says.

My question as to why she still wanted to work as a car guard after having such a serious accident and considering the fact that guarding cars is obviously a male dominated and sometimes also violent field of work, where competiton is not taken lightly, she said :
" It is still easier than at home ". 

" Some of the men are not happy to have me here, but I just stay out of their way .May be they don't chase me because I am short and old. Others think I am crazy ".
Ethel is not more than 1,40 m tall.

SIDWELL - LIFE AS A CAR GUARD

Sidwell comes from Mdantsane but he works not there. 

He commutes to the business center of East London every day. Sidwell works as a car guard.

He lived once in Mdantsane but lost his house due to a fire that has destroyed a whole area there and moved to the informal settlement of Duncan Village where he built a shack and where he lives now. 

Duncan village has been recognized as an area that will be developed by the municipality in the future. For now there is only in certain sectors electricity and water.

In every town in South-Africa there are car guards.The car guards allocate certain streets between themselves and watch the cars. It is one of the big informal employment sectors in South Africa. How much you pay and what you give is up to you. There is no fixed rate.

To some they are the hounds from hell considered as robbing, stealing thieves that are a danger to society.

To others a non-avoidable nuisance.

But many appreciate their presence because they take care of the cars carry parcels for you if you have any and try to earn money and make a living like we all do.

Sidwell thinks he is 57 but is not sure of it.

He had tuberculosis and has been treated but he feels often sick and pays frequently visits to the public hospital. During his times of absence that he spends at the clinic he looses badly needed income because other car guards take over his place.
If he does not come back in time his street will be taken over by a younger guy.
And he thinks he is too old for this job.