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November 29, 2003, by Chris

Theresa , Victoria , and Alfred

Our employees in Underberg are Theresa, Victoria, and Alfred, all Zulus.  This morning I drove Victoria into town to catch a taxi to Durban , 200 kms away, so that she can buy Christmas presents for her boys. Here a taxi is actually a van that seats about a dozen people. Most of the time there are closer to twenty people crammed into every available space. Often these vehicles are not very road-worthy and are always in a hurry.  They account for much of the high road fatality rate in South Africa.

The taxi costs 50 rand each way. Yesterday was payday. Victoria 's monthly salary is 600 rand. Today she spends 1/6 th of that just to get to the city to buy gifts for her three boys. 600 rand is 120 Canadian dollars. Yesterday was also monthly ration day. I had a list left by the previous owner of what to purchase at the Jumbo Cash and Carry. Some of the items I had never heard of so Victoria came with me to help.

• 12.5 kg. mielie meal (corn meal)
• 500 g. tea
• 1 bottle cooking oil
• 1 kg. samp (like hominy), rice and sugar beans
• 2.5 kg. sugar, 100 g salt
• 1 package of candles and matches
• 500 g margarine
• 500 g powdered soup
• two long bars of soap – one red and one green.

For all three of our employees the total came to 360 rand or about $72. They also get two loaves of bread, a litre of milk and 500 grams of beef brisket a week. This costs about another 360 rand a month. For 144 Canadian dollars four little boys and three adults are fed.

Jim and I don't eat for $144 a month. It is less expensive than Canada , we eat simply but well, and still I spend close to 1500 rand. 1500 rand is the combined salary of Alfred and Victoria. The town people say our employees are very lucky, they are treated better than most in these parts and we must be careful not to spoil them (whatever that means).

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