Dressed in a green and white chequered frock and soft hat and equipped with a ‘litter’ grip and plastic bag satchel strapped to her hip, 24-year old Molatlhegi has been employed by Daisy Loo since February this year to compliment this litter collection efforts and stake it in strategic points for the daily refuse collection. The ever smiling Shakawe-born Molatlhegi is nonchalant to comments from onlookers and has become a common feature in Gaborone’s Maruapula residential area as a garbage matron.
When Monitor approached Molatlhegi on her tour of duty she stated: “This job is not new to me because I worked for the Gaborone City Council (GCC) in a similar capacity from 1999 to 2003. I am proud of making Maruapula a clean and litter free suburb. My shift begins as early as 7:30 in the morning to 6:30 knock-off time and there is provision for tea and lunch breaks. I have to collect empty cans, tins, plastics, paper, beverage bottle and Chibuku packs strewn along the roads. The company pays special bonuses for picking up dead domesticated animals such as cats and dogs and provides me with the refuse bags, gloves and wherewithal for my job.
“I challenge youth of my age to engage in gainful employment and avoid indulging in alcohol, substance abuse or prostitution and lead productive lives. Given the HIV/AIDS scourge, I would like to advise my peers to avoid engaging in either of the above vices. I feel that there is a positive function for every human being rather than wanton malingering or over indulgence in the so-called pleasures of life.”
The collection of litter and garbage is no mean feat, she says. Every day, she has to put up with the stench of human and animal excreta that litter most of the streets. Although these have become unpleasant necessities in her daily routine, Molatlhegi rates the collection of dead cats and dogs as the most nauseating.
“I have a five-day working week and break off Saturdays and Sundays and public holidays if I opt to do so. Some animals are run over or die during weekends and by the time I resume duty on Monday, they may have reached advanced stages of decomposing especially during the hot season. You can imagine I have to insert the festered remains into refuse bags putting up with the obnoxious stench that sets my appetite off for days. But these are some of the unpleasant necessities and challenges of being a garbage collector.”
“Apart from that, dumping waste in open spaces worsens health problems through contamination. The amount of refuse collected by the disposal units does not tally with that which is dumped in open spaces,” she said.
Jane Mabuto, a vegetable vendor in Maruapula commends the work that Molatlhegi is involved in. “Molatlhegi should serve as an example for other younger girls who prefer to engage in prostitution or other wayward behaviour. I appreciate the commitment that she devotes to her unpleasant task. To sum up, I view her as a role model as far as achieving self-reliance is concerned.”
But Maungo Gower, also a resident of Maruapula felt that Molatlhegi is too young to be employed as a garbage collector because of the stigma and abomination that her peers feel towards the job. “I am older than her and feel that at the age of 24, she should be involved in an occupation that has fewer health risks. Although she wears protective clothing, I still feel that there are higher risks of exposure to infections associated with garbage collection. But, on the other hand, I appreciate the fact that she is able to look after herself from what she is paid at the end of the day.”
Molatlhegi, who is a single parent, completed junior secondary school in 1998 at Selulwe Hill CJSS, in Francistown. Her mother died when she was about three. Her father is employed as a security guard in Francistown.
In her spare time, Molatlhegi loves watching television and listening to music. But in her heart of hearts, cooking is her delight.
