Homeless, wheelchair-bound man still appeals for help
A wheelchair-bound man, who has lived on the streets of Boksburg North for almost two years now, has had enough and is appealing to residents of Boksburg to help him out.
Speaking to the Advertiser on January 13, physically-challenged Martin Greyling (51) said he had been leading a miserable life since losing his job, at Group Five, in Durban, a couple of years ago.
“The only things I care about at the moment include finding a safe place to stay and a wheelchair I can use to move around,” he added.
Greyling explained that he cannot apply for a disability grant, because he has lost all his documents, including his ID book.
During his latest interview with the Advertiser he was in an appalling condition. He appeared ill, with skin lesions, and seemed to be lethargic compared to the previous time we saw him.
“Although many people are reluctant when it comes to helping homeless people, I was quite overwhelmed by the response to the article recently published in the Advertiser, about my life on the streets,” he said.
“Dozens of people offered their support, in the form of clothes, food, a wheelchair and other items. I’m now hoping that somebody will one day offer me safe shelter.”
Greyling said he moved from Krugersdorp to Boksburg two years ago, hoping people with good hearts would help him, but they couldn’t, and he ended up begging on the streets.
According to him, thieves recently rubbed salt into his wounds, when they stole his wheelchairs and apparently sold them to scrap-yards.
This includes the brand new wheelchair he received from ”Wisdom Warriors”, a local motorcycle club, on Mandela Day, last year.
As a result of the theft, Greyling is stuck on the pavement at the corner of Cason and Trichardts roads.
He still survives on begging from people passing his spot, outside a liquor store and beneath a balcony that protects him from the summer rains.
Greyling spends most of his time sleeping on a smelly mattress, with dirty blankets, infested with swarms of flies and cockroaches.
Next to his mattress, is a sizable plastic bag in which he relieves himself, and it emits a very bad smell all over the surrounding area.
According to a nearby hawker, Jamine Mhlanga, who sells fruits and vegetables on the side of the road, Greyling’s presence has caused her business to plunge dramatically.
“All my customers are now gone,” she said.
”They always complain about the smell and refuse to buy from me, but I am trying to make ends meet.
“My daily turnover has decrease by more than 50 per cent since this man’s arrival; considering the bad smell, flies and cockroaches, it is completely understandable why people don’t want to buy from me any more.”
Mhlanga added that Greyling’s health is deteriorating day by day, apparently due to his living conditions.
“He was recently rushed to Tambo Memorial Hospital by ambulance, where he spent almost three weeks, after we found him lying face down, unresponsive on the sidewalk,’ said Mhlanga.
The liquor store manager, Lone Yan, said he has complained about Greyling several times, but no one is willing to help by providing the man with an alternative place to stay.
“People have been accusing us of embracing the presence of this homeless man because we are making money by selling alcohol to him,” he added.
“This is not true; considering his health condition, we have taken the decision to stop selling alcohol to him.” -@FanieBoksburg
