Johannesburg: a community of the blind photograph 15: a blind Zimbabwean child feels the face of Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo: he was paying a pastoral visit to some of his parishioners who are now in exile in Johannesburg: July 2004. Among the Zimbabwean communities is a group of 31 blind people, ranging in age from 2 years old to 60+. This group of very vulnerable people, accompanied by a few sighted children who lead them out into Johannesburg to beg each day, is living in appalling conditions in Hillbrow. The whole group lives in one room, without a kitchen or bathroom. Cooking is done on one double hot plate on the floor, and ablutions are in a communal bathroom down the passage, shared not only by them, but by other tenants. The bathroom was awash with water and urine during our visits. They explained that the money paid to them from social services in Zimbabwe for their disabilities is the equivalent of about two loaves of bread a month, because of inflation. They cannot survive in Zimbabwe. They have therefore moved to Johannesburg to live by begging on the streets, where they make around R10 a day each. Political refuge We did not get full statements from all of them, but one blind man indicated that he had fled Zimbabwe as a result of political persecution. He had bought sugar in August 2002, which was scarce at that time, and was selling it at a small mark up on a street corner. He was attacked by youth militia who accused him of being MDC, stole his sugar and handed him to the police. He was detained in jail until January 2003, and on release, he fled to South Africa. These are people trying to live with dignity in an appalling situation not of their own making. Many of them have skills and used to knit, crochet, make candles back in Zimbabwe when they had the resources. Several play musical instruments. All would rather be gainfully employed in some kind of enterprise than begging. The majority of blind in this group would be considered undocumented migrants and would be deported if authorities were drawn in. 60