A Place where the Unemployment don't exist,Mpakeni

The Mpakeni village is found 40 km east of Nelspruit,Mpumalanga.From Nelspruit,you get to N4 25 km.Once you are in Kanyamazane and move north 5 km and turn east KaDaantjie where you will reach kaOg(pronounced as Ogies in Afrikaans) then you turn eastwards,

passing Mthethomusha Nature Reserve.

Just about 10km you will reach Mpakeni.

The Life expectancy is 90 years both males and females

The economical active People are between

18-85.The formal education did not help them very much as one Learner in the past once said:"We are study to be able to write our names and surnames and be able to 

read.

Young as we are,we specialise in

1.Building houses

2.Roofing

3.Painting

4.Tiling

5.Stock farming

6.Cultivating Fields"

I asked one of the learners,when,how did they learn these skills?The answer was  simple and straight forward.

He said to me they were taught by their relatives and friends and more  they were encouraged by the incentives which they received.

I wanted to find out about those who were unemployed.

He replied by saying:

"It's very simple  you don't work,you don't get food.Choose what you want.Actually such a person won't have friends'

Their Economic Activities also include:

1.Hairsaloons

2.Small shops called Spaza.

3.Traditional brewery.

4.Selling Marijuana (Secretly)

5.Fencing (kraal and houses)

The economic activities of those who are above 60 years

1.Selling grains.

2.Cultivating the fields

3.Selling vegetables 

What makes Mpakeni to be  unique?

1.It is isolated from the rest of other villages.

2.The land is owned by the families.

3.A "Foreigner" must not be given a land.

4.Crime is very limited.

The village organize meetings always talk

about "Self Policing"

5.Since it is the small community,they know each other very well.

Who are the outside helpers

1.The Teachers

2.Police

3.The Buses which ferry People in every 

6hrs to the nearby villages and towns.

What are the challenges facing this Community?

1.Buses,taxes are expensive.

2.Teenage pregnancy although is declining.

3.Poor Parenthood.Once the child is over 18 is given the Right to be independent.

4.The teenage sexual abuse is rife.

Does Mpakeni expand or grow?

1.There are recent houses which were built

by the people who were born there.

2.The young People preferred to have their own "plot" so that they can understand each other.

What are the new Development!

Some groups work outside Mpakeni but stay at Mpakeni but preferring to sleep in their home village.

Some work at Mthethomusha Reserve.

Which are the Popular Profession at Mpakeni?

1.Security

2.Bus Driving

3.Social Professions

3.1 Social workers

3.2 Teachers

3.3  Administrative Clerks at Government 

Departments

3.4. Storekeepers 

3.5. Police

Why are the "Foreigners" are not given land

at Mpakeni?

1.The Foreigners are perceived as Thieves.

2.The Foreigners will not understand their way of living 

3.The Foreigners will "pollute" the culture of their marriages.

4.Foreigners will "dominate' their community of which  they like to stay unique.

Which are dominating surnames?

1.Thabethe(s)

2.Ngomane(s)

3.Lukhele(s)

4.Small number of Nkosi (s)

How  did the Electricity and tireroad came?

The young generation in the meeting 

"enforced" electricity and the tireroad.

The older generation made an argument that the thieves will have an easy leeway of stealing their stocks especially the cattle since the road will  will be smooth.

The electricity will trap their stock and kill

People.They further said how can you invite "fire" day and night.What if you will be turned when you are asleep or your house burn when you are away?

At last the young people succeeded.

Photo:

Yotube@vuyomakaula1593