After spending several years as a street dweller, Bonga Sithole says this life-changing moment he is currently going through, as the man of the hour is not a mistake, and he is grateful for it all.
Living on the streets, Bonga states that he met the family he didn’t think he would have. After he eloped from his own biological family, in 2006.
Sithole’s story is quite interesting to say the least. He used to live at Campus Square in Auckland Park, Johannesburg and spent a large part of his day as a beggar.
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Best-known for his fluent English and deep radio voice. Bonga has stole the heart’s of many, such that people felt compelled to record him and share his gift with the world.
Few months down the line, Bonga has become a sensation who has a lot of fans and followers. Through videos of him that have gained thousands of views and likes
Sometimes all a person needs is a helping hand and that one chance, that can completely turn your life around. For Sithole, that person was Sisanda Qwabe-Coutaud who provided him with a roof over his head and gave him a start to his now-life.
It does not end there, he also made his way to rehab a couple of weeks back and now his out and ready to blow up.
The road was not easy for the former street dweller. Mzansi’s “most articulate beggar” carved out a living in by asking for money and food from passing motorists. He was well-known to students at the nearby University of Johannesburg campus.
Great news is that he is receiving all the help he needs and now his out of rehabilitation. Now, the fun begins, we cannot wait to see what he has in store for us!
Entering REHAB IN STYLE… see you in 2 months.. Thank you so much for all your support and prayers! #uyozeawuchithe #FIFAWorldCup #chucky #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/EBw5X9yNwu
— Sisanda Nomusa Qwabe-Coutaud (@SisandaQ) November 24, 2022
In an interview with YouTube’s Nkululeko n Cultr, Sithole revealed that his parents split up when he was a child. And he had to spend time between Zola where his mother was, and Rustenburg, where his dad lived.
“I’ve got 19 siblings on my father’s side, and I’ve got two siblings on my mother’s side. My father lived in Rustenburg, and my mother lives eZola, Soweto. So I’ve always moved back and forth throughout my upbringing as a result.
“My father was a taxi owner. But he was shot dead nine times in the head in 2017. I was already a street dweller at the time.”
Sithole said he went to an Afrikaans school and his future looked bright.
“From a tender age, I had a very broad cerebral. My father loved me for that. He tried his best to invest in the growth of my education,” he told the show’s host, Nkululeko Nkewu.However, his trouble with homelessness started when his father, a taxi boss, was shot dead.
He’s always been a bookworm, which is why he loves using big words. When asked where his love for reading comes from, Bonga jokes, “It comes from this huge head of mine.”
“I went to average schools, and I believe that this is God-given. I am an avid reader, I love literature, I love books – especially encyclopaedias,” he emphasises.
The 35-year-old is also passionate about his faith. In his life, he is following “the light of Jesus”.
“I was born and bred in Christianity, so Jesus said we must follow his footsteps. He lived a life of impact – he was of help to the marginalised and society at large.”
Bonga believes, as a Christian, he is also called to do good for others.
“That is why when I was with the (former) Gauteng MEC of education Panayza Lesufi and other cabinet ministers during a small talk, and they asked me what was my dream, I said that my dream is to leave a legacy, to be of assistance and to empower others.”
Bonga especially wants to help empower other street dwellers that nothing is impossible.
“I believe that being a street dweller was not a mistake but rather a journey which was prescribed by God so that one day I can reflect back and be of assistance to people like me.