Many years ago, with some of my former newsroom colleagues, we tried to be members of our own stokvel, but lo behold, we were quite poor at it.
In about six months down the line, we all pulled out and wanted the little savings we had put in back. Our then treasurer Cassandra Shaw (Happy New Year Cass) really tried, but we were just hopeless.
Anyway, since then I have never been part of any stokvel or any scheme because, more than anything, I am just hopeless with handling money. So I have tried to keep away from anything that will make me enemies with anyone—except the bank, of course, when it comes to money. I think another blessing, though, is people hardly ever approach me to borrow money.
Maybe they can tell that I do not have any to spare being a single mother and all, or I put on such a straight face that they are afraid to approach me. However, of late people have been brave. I think there are three to five people I do not talk to lately because they owe me. They each came with a sob story, which seems to be the trend now, about how they needed the money.
One girl came up to me and told me she needed E2 000 because she was being kicked out of her flat and would be left without shelter if she did not pay her landlord. I had received a payout from one of my saving schemes and gave her the money, which she promised to pay in two months, at most three.
Every day during the first month, she would come and greet me (we did work in the same building), compliment me on my shoes, hair, or whatever I was wearing on that day, and I thought to myself, what a sweet woman. She was also told of my love for mangoes, so randomly I would find one at my desk.
Come pay day that first month, she came with the ‘akuhlangani mani’ story. I was cool with it, and then it was more of the same for the second month, although the visits to my desk were less frequent.
On the third month, I had actually thought she had resigned from the office because I did not see her at all. At the end of the day, we now do not speak because I do not know how difficult it is to tell someone you owe money that you do not have it at all so that we can all move on.
The other person who owes me, a guy now, also came to me with a sob story of needing E2 000. (I do not know why I look like a girl who has E2 000.) He went a step further and took a picture of his electricity units meter (if it was even his) that read he had 2.00 electricity units. I think these scammers, I now call them, put a spell on us because, with this guy, I even walked with him to the ATM, withdrew the E2 000, and he promised to pay me quarterly. First month, yes; after that, people cannot even look you in the eye.
I am not saying I do not borrow money from people; heck, one stokvel even calls me to ask if I am okay this month because I have not approached them, LOL. However, what people need to understand is that it is these little things that make us not have faith in humans anymore.
Economy
We all need money in this economy, and when we lend you money, it is not because we have money to spare, but the way you present your sob stories really touches us ‘kind-hearted’ people.
Thinking of it now with the E2 000’s that are seemingly sketched on my forehead, there is no reason why I cannot take that money and actually pay for those Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) units. I will soon enough be hearing stories about how lucky I am that my children are now all in college and I do not have the stress of buying school uniforms and lunch tins, so I should have money to spare. It is all called proper family planning, good people.
I know making resolutions is now a tired story, but may all these people who like borrowing people’s money without having any idea of how they will pay it back stop. Next thing, they will be giving you sad stories that they are now gambling addicts and need help on how to stop. Let us not entertain these stories, good people.
Also, do not even give a person a second glance if they stop talking to you just because you refused to lend them money, because chances are they will not pay you back, and you are then labelled as a cruel person over your finances.
That is why I would in 2026 advise everyone to try and embrace the motto: ‘To each his own.’ My favourite line is to always remind people to be kind, but do not be kind ngemali yebantfwabakho!
Till next week, enjoy the Incwala Holiday.
