ABSTRACT
Within the city of Bloemfontein, the judicial capital of the country, there is much poverty. One can see many White beggars on the streets, mainly at the robots with fewer Black beggars, a number of whom are the Black homeless youth. There are also many Black street hawkers at the robots and on the sides of the road, as well as Black, White and Coloured car watchers at almost every establishment in the city, be these stores, restaurants, markets, or offices; people who are not paid by the establishment, but live off the tips that people give them. This chapter discusses poverty in the city; in the food stores and markets in the wealthier neighborhoods, and in the inner city. The discussion involves the stories of two White men - a car watcher at a food market and a homeless man and beggar in the inner-city, who is an attendee/beneficiary of the Christian NGO – and programs combatting food insecurity among students at the University of the Free State. The importance of poverty and inequality underlying the recent student protests is also discussed. The chapter ends with the description of some food initiatives in the city, their sphere of influence and impact.
