PDF download - Bothasig Pulse

Interview with :
Retired Sub-Deacon Willem and Brenda Coetzee
Billy was born on 23
July 1930 in Kraaifontein
(also referred to
as ‘Die Vlei’ in those
years) and turns eighty
three this year. Brenda
was born on 10 December
1933 in Woodstock
and turns eighty this
year. The older people
will be aware that the
year 1933 was referred
to as the “year of the
great depression”. Work
was therefore extremely
scarce and families had
to move to areas where
work was available.
Billy’s father and family
moved to Salt River
where his father was
able to fi nd work and
Billy attended the Salt
River Primary school.
At the age of 14 Billy
started work as a labourer
at Lever Brothers. He
worked in the factory
and would do anything
expected of him, from
sweeping the fl oors to
repairing broken things.
Four years later he started a new job at the Woollen Mills in Mowbray for ‘three shillings’ more per week. He
then earned one Pound and ten Shillings per week. (Converted to today’s money it is about R14.30 per week.)
Three years later he got a job as a labourer on the Railways where he worked his way up and became a Shunter
and later a Leading Shunter. After nineteen years in the Railway he started his own business with his brother.
They started a ‘Heavy Machinery’ moving business. Because it was the only such business in the Cape Town
area at the time, their business did very well. He then bought the rights to three cinemas in Paarl which later
proved to be non-profi table.
- Page: 8 -