THENGWE – “It is not easy to receive encouraging responses when it comes to job opportunities, so people are focusing on self-employment,” said physically-disabled Mbulungeni Maphaphuli (52), a one-handed mason from Mukovhawabale village outside Thengwe.
He explained that he is self-taught as building houses and fences is an art he witnessed growing up. He says he is from a royal family, and members of royal families collect stones and build fences without using cement.
Maphaphuli started building houses and fences using stones after he was retrenched from work as a result of the injury he sustained to his hand while employed at a mine in Musina in 1991.
“The mine promised to give me money every month, they were able to pay me R425 at first in 1991, however I complained and they told me that the money would increase, but instead of increasing the money, they stopped paying me. I couldn’t sleep worrying about what I was going to do in order to take care of my family,” he said.
He describes himself as a hard-working man who is trying his best to reduce poverty in his home but faces challenges when it comes to finding jobs which are suitable for his type of disability. Although unemployed people with disabilities are legible to receive certain forms of state maintenance, it is insufficient to meet all the needs they have. He added that he is supposed to receive an artificial hand or prosthetic, in Johannesburg but due to financial difficulties is unable to do so.
“I decided to accept my fate and adapt to life without two hands, I am disabled and don’t want to be a burden on my family, so I started my business in 1993.”
Maphaphuli explained that ever since he started his own business he is able to make a bit of money to support his children. “I am used to this as I can build a fence by myself with one hand, but some of the youth in the community run away from the job as they claim that it is hard labour,” he said.
Maanda Mulaudzi, a resident who has worked with Mbulungeni before, mentioned that people appreciate his work although others don’t believe that it is he, Maphaphuli, who is building the fences around Mukovhawabale because of his disability. “There are people who think disabled persons can’t do anything for themselves, but Mbulungeni has proven them wrong because he has built so many fences, many times without any assistance,” added Mulaudzi.
