Last weekend a mother, Bongeka Buso, who lived in a hut near Butterworth in Transkei, stabbed her eldest daughter in the neck before poisoning her other two girls and herself. She was 38 years old, a toddler herself at the dawn of our democracy in 1994.

She was deep in debt and could find no way out. Like many other women drowning in bottomless poverty, she would have grown up expecting the formation of the first ANC government to mark a new departure from the life she had known before.      ..

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.