Tractor changes his life
It seemed to him that because he was physically disabled, his dream of being able to plough his own land would never be realised, until the life-changing day that a local tractor dealer came to his aid.
POLOKWANE – It seemed to him that because he was physically disabled, his dream of being able to plough his own land would never be realised, until the life-changing day that a local tractor dealer came to his aid.
Makwena Mathiane’s legs were only formed to just below his knees when he was born. He has no feet, yet he still manages to walk unaided. Limpopo Trekkers came to his aid by making a few modifications to a tractor, and in so doing, enabled him to drive his own tractor.
“When he came into the dealership, the first thing I thought was that he needed help to get on the chair, but before I could assist he was seated and ready to talk business,” Martie Els, Limpopo Trekkers salesperson, recalled.
She said she had been so impressed by how mobile Makwena was, walking on his knees, that when he said he was there to buy a tractor, and needed some modifications made, she knew this was something they had to do.
With the help of one of their technicians, Andries Jansen, Limpopo Trekkers did just that, and one month later, Makwena received the phone call that was to change his life forever. He was asked to come and take a practise run on his brand-new Massey Ferguson 165.
“I can never thank these people enough. It costs me R3 800 to get my fields on the farm ploughed and this is quite a setback, as you can imagine, but now I can do the ploughing myself and save a lot of money that can go back into my farming,” Makwena said, sitting on his tractor with a huge smile on his face.
