“Painful”: Former eThekwini Worker Living Under Plastic Tarp Opens Up About Losing Her Job, SA Moved

• A KwaZulu-Natal woman shared how she has been living in a makeshift shelter on a public lawn for nearly two years after losing her municipal
• The former eThekwini Municipality worker said she received no formal warning or explanation before her employment was terminated
• Viewers were moved by her daily struggles, including bathing with cold water at 3:00 AM with no access to proper sanitation

A woman in KwaZulu-Natal has gone viral after sharing how she ended up living under a plastic tarp on a public lawn, nearly two years after losing her job with the eThekwini Municipality. Posted on 17 August 2026 by X user @joy_zelda, the video shows the woman speaking from inside a makeshift shelter built from plastic sheeting and chairs. She describes a life that has been stripped down to the bare minimum, with no roof, no hot water and no sanitation.

Life in the park

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What makes her story particularly painful is how sudden it all was. She says she was never given a formal warning or any explanation when her employment at the municipality ended. After years of dedicated work, she says she and other former colleagues were let go without formal communication and support.

The conditions she now endures are extreme. She bathes in cold water as early as 3:00 a.m., exposed to the elements in all weather. Rain, wind and the cold are all part of her daily reality. She also spoke about the pressure of being the sole breadwinner for her family back home, who depend entirely on her income. Her words carried a clear sense of loss, not just of a job, but of dignity and direction.

Watch her full account in the X video below:

Mzansi reacts to the woman's story

South Africans had a lot to say about the video, with opinions divided between sympathy, frustration and scepticism:

@ABSA36912 wrote:

"But they want to hire foreigners, ubuntu bethu bona bubuyiswa nini [when will they show us the same kindness]. Ubuntu Operations nikuphi [where are you]?"

@khabalenja24803 said:

"@eThekwiniM and the @ANCKZN is cruel shame. They hate black South Africans; they wouldn't do this to foreigners and whites."

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@NeoExcellent urged:

"It is painful indeed, but don't politicise her situation. Either you help her or request help from those who are willing to assist."

@Pattman99 asked:

"So she was deployed by ANC but voted MKP, so which party should give her job now?"

@MfanaNkosi3 questioned:

"But your vote is secret, so how did they know that she voted for MK? This story is half-baked."

@@Ngoasheng9

"Sad indeed."

3 Briefly News articles about the homeless

• A generous South African man won hearts across the nation after stepping up to gift innovative, protective sleeping pods to homeless individuals in need.
• A broke South African student moved many online after spending his last bits of money to buy food for a homeless woman who had not eaten in days.
• South Africans rallied online to track down a talented homeless man whose deeply soulful singing voice went viral after he was filmed moving mourners at a funeral.

Source: Briefly News