The Life and Times of

Maria Madira Shika

By Kristina Gubic

The Housekeeper

• Maria was born in 1960. She has three children. She is a single mother after losing her husband to illness fifteen years ago. Although he was a gardener – he supported her until his death. For the past fifteen yeas she has worked as a housekeeper for three different families in Parkhurst.

The Diva

• Outside of her job, Maria is always elegantly dressed. Even for the 20 minte walk home, she will change out of her overalls.

The worshipper

• Maria has been a devout Zionist Christian her whole life. She was born outside Polokwane in what has become the Zionist village of Moria where she still has a home.

The Property Mogul

Maria owns two homes which she maintains with her wages from housekeeping and from rental derived from 3 lodgers

Her youngest daughter lives in her home in Diepsloot while her in-laws live in her home in Polokwane which she inherited after her husband’s death.

The mother

Maria has three children, all of whom live in Diepsloot.

She has 2 grandchildren