Chapter 23 - Dompas Problem

In 1960, my brother Job came to Alexandra from Pietersburg. Job lived with my grandparents in a village in Pietersburg. When he came to stay with us in Alexandra, the family could finally be all together.

Job struggled to pass Standard 6 in Alexandra. This did not come as a surprise as he barely managed to pass Standard 5. He failed Standard 6 so many times that he finally gave up and started looking for a job. It was not easy for him to get a job because he was not born in Alexandra. In those days, the law prohibited anyone from outside Johannesburg to get a job in Alexandra.

My brother only had a baptismal certificate from Pietersburg. My mother accompanied him to the pass office to try and get him a dompas. At the pass office, he was told to go back to Pietersburg. My mother pleaded with the authorities. She explained to them that he was her son, and she did not want him to be separated from the rest of the family. The officials were cruel; they refused.

My mother went to the local pastor for assistance. Pastor Molaba lived in the Presbyterian church's premises in Tenth Avenue. The pastor ...

To read more on how the pastor helped Rose's mother and her brother on the dompass problem; buy the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Life-Alexandra-Township-Know/dp/1483693805 (Amazon) or http://www.takealot.com/the-memories-of-my-life-in-alexandra-township-i-know/PLID36786983 (Takealot).

My elder brother, Mashaole Job Rakoma,
who had a "dompass" problem.

Review by Xlibris

Memoir shows author's resilience, perseverance

Rose Mmatsatsi Rakoma Llale imparts story of hardship and success, inspiring readers

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - For many years, the citizens of South Africa have been divided due to the apartheid system. The racial divide may have ended now, but the scars of the past cannot be easily removed. Author Rose Mmatsatsi Rakoma Llale looks back during the time of the apartheid era and shares a touching story of rising over trials and poverty through her memoir, "The Memories of My Life in Alexandra Township I Know". 

Looking back to her childhood years, Llale narrates how her family had struggled with poverty, with her parents making both ends meet while keeping everyone together. Advancing to her teenage and adult years, Llale becomes a picture of optimism as she studied, earned her degree and worked her way to building her own family.

Honest and raw, Llale's account of growing up in Alexandra Township during the apartheid era shows readers the undeniable contrast of life in the urban and the rural areas. Written with such passion to share and inspire, "The Memories of My Life in Alexandra Township I Know" is one testimony of a woman rising over life's tough challenges.

"The Memories of My Life in Alexandra Township I Know"

By Rose Mmatsatsi Rakoma Llale

Softcover| 6 x 9in | 89 pages | ISBN 9781483693804

E-Book | 89 pages | ISBN 9781483693811

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Rose Mmatsatsi Llale (nee Rakoma) is the first daughter of the late Josiah Rakoma and the late Hendrica Rakoma. She resided in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, South Africa. She was married to the late Amos Mokone Llale, who passed away in 1992. They were blessed with four daughters, and two granddaughters. Llale first qualified as a higher primary school teacher in 1962. She taught for only nine months in 1963. Then in October 1963, she enrolled as a student nurse at Pretoria General Hospital. In 1968, she qualified as a midwife at Baragwanath Hospital. In 1977, she qualified as an ophthalmic nurse at St. John Eye Hospital in Johannesburg. In 1980, she obtained primary health care nursing diploma at Soweto Community Health Centres in Johannesburg and obtained a BCUR nursing degree in 1986 with the University of South Africa. From December 1999 to November 2000, she worked at a nursing home in Glasgow, Scotland. In the year 2002, she worked in Northampton's Rushden Nursing Home, and for the last six months, she worked in Wales' Nursing Home. At present, she is retired and is doing sessional nursing at Baragwanath's St. John Eye Hospital section.