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A self-employed car painter, Mnqweno Nomgca (68), from Tsolo town but residing at Ngangelizwe Township in Mthatha, showed his talent by building his own car using scrap metal and a double bunk bed.
Talking to Mthatha Express, Nomgca said he had decided to try his luck, after two friends borrowed his two cars and broke them. He said he was residing in Johannesburg at the time.
“I saw that my four children were struggling to go to school, so as the father I had to accompany all of them to different schools. My first-born was attending school at Willowmead Senior Secondary School in Johannesburg; another two attended school at Buyani Primary School, and the last-born used to go to pre-school in our area. It was not easy to do this job,” said Nomgca.
He added that he told his friend, a plumber, about his idea. He then helped with an old engine, gearbox, and car doors, but they were not working. Nomgca said he received the car roof from someone who was on his way to s ell it at scrapyard, so he (Nomgca) bought it for R150.
He said he then took the double-bunk and made a car frame.
“I then made a draft. I started to build my own car after that. When I relocated from Johannesburg to Mthatha it was transported, but now I drive it around Mthatha and even to Tsolo sometimes. The only challenge that I have is that I am struggling to get the switch of the indicator that I want to use, so that it can have indicators.”
He added that another challenge is that the traffic officers always want to impound it, because it is not licensed.
He confirmed that he is not a mechanic, but is a car painter, and he learned that from Technical High School in Mthatha.
He also revealed that when he was still in Johannesburg he used to be invited by some of the schools to show learners how to start a car from scratch.
“All I need now is my own place so that I can have a workshop with some indispensable tools and funding, then the mini car manufacturing will be here.”
