Papzito, the musical mining man
This rapper has his head in the books with a degree from Wits and a future full of opportunity
POLOKWANE – Pabalelo Papzito Selema is not only a rapper, producer and songwriter, the hit maker is also an advocator of education with his love for teaching dating back to his high school days when he would teach his classmates maths and science.
He obtained six distinctions in matric and studied engineering at Wits after receiving a scholarship and is currently working for one of the biggest mining companies in the world. “In 2008, I decided I would be a metallurgy and material sciences engineer after I was exposed to a workshop at a mineral week in the Vaal area wherein a metallurgist from Eskom delivered a presentation on the profession.
“I was so enticed. Curiosity spilled over and I researched the subject. Every time I passed Polokwane Smelters and saw the words ‘Metallurgical Complex’ on my way to Lebowakgomo, my heart would melt,” he explains.
Papzito founded a community-based tutoring programme for high school learners where he taught over 200 learners for free in Meyerton, Midvaal and in the next five years he’d like to build a school in Limpopo that teaches STEM (sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects only. “This would be the innovation hub that would propel our local economy in terms of groundbreaking ideas to do mining safely and profitably, to successfully farm amid water constraints, to build road networks that will make Limpopo an economic gateway to Africa, and to basically connect our rural areas in business and learning activities,” he says.
Papzito has performed across the country, mostly at universities, and has worked with Mashabela Galane and shared the stage with Pro-Kid, Dr Malinga, Psyfo, RedButton and Ntukza from Teargas.
