Eric van Rooy spent most of his life in Wuppertal. (All photos by Ashraf Hendricks)
Eric van Rooy is 69 years old. He grew up in the small town of Wuppertal in the Western Cape and spent most of his life there.
He worked at an old glove factory for a while until it closed. He currently works in the Community Work Program (CWP) and receives a monthly superannuation grant from Clanwilliam.
The CWP is a national initiative aimed at providing a safety net for working people, but it employs only about 47 people out of a population of about 7,400. But it's welcome in a town where jobs are scarce.
The program is managed and funded by the National Cooperative Governance Authority.
Founded in 1830 as a mission of the Moravian Church, Wuppertal is the main mission of about 14 outpost villages scattered around the Cederberg Mountains.
The town is only accessible by gravel road and is a 70km drive from Clanwilliam.
Every month, Van Rooy pays R250 to travel to Clanwilliam or pays someone R50 to receive the grant.
He says he used to struggle, but now he feels more “at peace.” He plans to retire next year.
CWP job opportunities in Cedarburg include Citrusdal and its surrounding areas like the nearby Riverview informal settlement, Clanwilliam, Elands Bay, Graafwater, Lamberts Bay, Wuppertal and Algeria .
“Work in Cederberg City is mainly focused on cleaning and greening. Other forms of work include supporting local clinics, early childhood development facilities and soup kitchens, among others.” Western Cape said Wouter Kriel, spokesperson for Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Anton Bredel.
According to the Cederberg City Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for 2024/25, approximately 1,132 people in Wuppertal are dependent on social grants. Of these, 433 are recipients of old-age benefits.
The town also relies on small-scale farming, especially rooibos, and is home to a historic shoe factory that produces “vertucone”.
The landmark is the historic building with its white thatched roof, centered around the Moravian Church. There is also a post office, small shops, community center, elementary school, clinic, restaurant, and accommodation.
Wuppertal was devastated by fire in December 2018, with more than 50 houses destroyed and 200 people left homeless. They had to be housed in temporary housing.
Many houses and historic buildings were subsequently restored, including the Leipold House, the community center, the “Winkelhaus”, the school hostel complex, and the Palms Guest House.
Kevin Valentin, 58, also works for CWP. He has lived in Wuppertal all his life and still lives in the house where he was born. He said there are very few jobs in town at the moment.
Heavy rains and flooding in Cederberg in July completely cut off the town. Humanitarian aid needed to be sent to the population.
Valentin said the community garden was thriving before the flood. “Then a storm came and washed it away,” he said.
Van Rooy said the town is growing in size. “More homes are being built,” he said. Cederberg's population is expected to grow by approximately 1.4% annually over the next few years.
Van Rooy says it is a quiet town to live in and that Wuppertalers are “unaware” of crime. You can also sleep outside on the stairs, he says. “No one will disturb you.”
This article was first published by GroundUp.
