Raylaine Hendricks
Raylaine Hendricks was one of the few Claremont residents who was able to retain her home throughout the forced removals under the Group Areas Act. She remained in her home until August 2014, in which month she moved to a retirement home at the age of 96. Her passion for the area, the people who were evicted, and fair treatment for all shines through in the stories she tells and the time she has for those interested. A more extensive biography is underway, with information about Raylaine & her family. A video is available, directed by Pascale Neuschafer, made in 2012. It is available on the Centre for Popular Memory's Youtube page.
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A story about Ray Hendricks in Sally Ann magazine, October 1996
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A story about Ray Hendricks in Sally Ann magazine, October 1996
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How I Stayed In Claremont
My neighbour said, ‘Oh no, we’re going to sign to move – you’re getting so much per square meter, and so on and so on. I stayed. I PRAYED every time when those people came. They’ve got their folder with pages and pages on 58 Prince’s street. "Aren’t you going to go? We’re building a nice little township in Kuilsriver." I will never forget. This big – just like this. Do you think I can go with my furniture into those little houses in Kuilsriver? They felt ashamed. That was only once. After that, came the estate agents. They came and they came and they came. Until finally a woman phoned me and I was so very tired of getting hammered with “When are you going to sell your house? You’ve got to sell your house!” This is how they talk! And I said, “I’m sorry to say you people are a lot of vultures waiting for us to fall. Not another estate agent bothered me after that.
People won’t believe the power of prayer! When they came, I remember praying for the words for what to tell the people who were coming to take my house. They told me if I wanted to keep my house they would give me a market value, and I would have the basic value. And the difference between the market value and the basic value was what I had to pay to live in my own house! I managed to pay it!
But, when that chappy came around to value my house, he stood in the kitchen. I said ‘Lord Jesus, just help this man to keep the value down.’ I suppose he did, I don’t know what the value was but I know the difference I had to pay! And I stayed.
My neighbour said, ‘Oh no, we’re going to sign to move – you’re getting so much per square meter, and so on and so on. I stayed. I PRAYED every time when those people came. They’ve got their folder with pages and pages on 58 Prince’s street. "Aren’t you going to go? We’re building a nice little township in Kuilsriver." I will never forget. This big – just like this. Do you think I can go with my furniture into those little houses in Kuilsriver? They felt ashamed. That was only once. After that, came the estate agents. They came and they came and they came. Until finally a woman phoned me and I was so very tired of getting hammered with “When are you going to sell your house? You’ve got to sell your house!” This is how they talk! And I said, “I’m sorry to say you people are a lot of vultures waiting for us to fall. Not another estate agent bothered me after that.
People won’t believe the power of prayer! When they came, I remember praying for the words for what to tell the people who were coming to take my house. They told me if I wanted to keep my house they would give me a market value, and I would have the basic value. And the difference between the market value and the basic value was what I had to pay to live in my own house! I managed to pay it!
But, when that chappy came around to value my house, he stood in the kitchen. I said ‘Lord Jesus, just help this man to keep the value down.’ I suppose he did, I don’t know what the value was but I know the difference I had to pay! And I stayed.
