Family With Mini Domestic Animal Zoo In Soweto. It is often said that people do not get along with animals.
It is often said that people do not get along with animals. However, one family seems to have gone against the notion because their home is a place where several domestic animals can be found. The couple says they would have had more of the animals if it wasn’t for the superstitions that people had. The couple thinks that their love of animals is one of the reasons why they are still together as a couple.
44-year-old Zinhle and Teddy Mbatha from Zola, Soweto, in Johannesburg fell in love 12 years back and got wedded in 2016. The 44-year-old wife says she used to hear rumours that her husband was a witch. However, one day when she needed a plastic bag she was strolling down her 57-year-old husband’s street. He thus offered to give her the plastic bag, asking her to head to his house with him. The wife was scared but she got there with an open mind because she has a soft spot for animals.
She says that she saw a cat, some doves in a cage and tortoise. She says that she also searched for any sign of dark magic but she didn’t find anything. She says that got more animals after they started living together. They got chickens, an owl, two cats, and additional doves. The 44-year-old says the animals help when they are under stress.
“Waking up to them and connecting to them and connecting with them is the best feeling. They somehow bring us together when we’re mad at each other,” says Zinhle. All in all they have 11 chickens, 42 doves, 3 cats, 4 four goldfish and 1 tortoise. R1600 is used to buy the animal food every month, according to 57-year-old Teddy.
by Alexandra Ramaite
