Kudos to Beggars in S.A...they are getting smarter by the minute. Do they go to Beg-Today (sort of like Fat Fighters but for bergies) and then learn new techniques to swindle the hard earned cash from us? We all know the ploys...Ive heard everything mentioned here (and in some cases theyre true) :

a) The family who needs to be fed (a reasonable request , then)
b) The train ticket back to Kayamandi (well then how did you get here?)
c) The house that burnt down
d) The sick relative
e) Him/Her trying to find a job but not having anything to eat in the meantime (gets brownie points for at least trying)

This morning one guy stopped me , showing me that he had a few 20c pieces and when I replied that I didnt have my purse on me (which I didnt) he started talking about how he was "a political man" which i dont have the foggiest as to what he means. And he continued to talk about him distancing himself from his native Xhosa community but now he's starving to death.

THe sheer inventiveness of this made me fish around in my pockets, only to find a R5. I gave that to him, along with a thumbs-up sign and continued to my flat, after he thanked me profusely. It seems that they have found that the longer they can detain you, the more likely youre going to give them cash to just stop talking. Most times its their life story. Sometimes a story that wouldnt be credible even if it appeared in Aesop's fables. Ah well. Survival of the creative?