George Santos Stole From His Mother

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Traditional media have done a great job in fact-checking George Santos, New York Congressman-elect who lied to voters. Regrettably, it is not possible to fact check his mother’s pain.

WHO: Fatima Devolder, mother of George Santos, died in 2016.

WHAT: Was a nurse for Delio da Camara da Costa Alemao.

WHERE: In Brazil.

WHAT: Employer gave her his checkbook for safekeeping.

WHAT: Her son George Santos stole it from her purse.

WHY: He forged checks to buy clothing.

Mothers and Purses

We can never know Fatima Devolder’s pain when she discovered her son had violated her purse. Millions of mothers can relate to that hurt.

A mother’s joy is when kids or grand kids stop what they are doing and run to her when they see her get off the bus. They take the shopping bag (there’s always a shopping bag with goodies) and her handbag. They put the handbag in its special place in the bedroom.

We were those kids. We knew that mama’s purse solved our problems with the magic words: Bring my purse. Money for bread, vegetables, school projects, train fare and many more. We never thought of opening it and taking out the money. The word privacy was not in vogue then. We just knew that the purse was not ours. Nobody told us not the put our hands in there. 

That’s why George Santos reminds me how I felt, the first time I read about drug addicts that steal from their mothers. Scared for the future, for humanity.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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