Four Seasons Before Lunch Gauteng (Pretoria)

 I have lived in Pretoria for half my life, but even at almost 50, l still am not ready for mornings like this . I step out of  home in the morning at 7 a.m., greeted by a warm, gentle breeze and sunshine so golden it felt like summer had arrived overnight. The sky was clear; the jacaranda trees glowed purple; the air smelled of warmth and possibility. “Perfect day,” l muttered, locking his door. By the time l drive out—five minutes later—the sky starts to be darkened. A cold wind came crawling in from nowhere, sweeping dust across the pavement. The temperature dropped so suddenly that  l have  to switch the heater for warmth. Laughing. “Ah, Pretoria… you never disappoint.” Halfway to the office, the heavens opened. Not soft rain— a storm . Sheets of water hammered the road, street gutters overflowed instantly, and distant thunder rolled like a grumpy giant waking up too early. People scattered, hiding under bus shelters already too full.  “Ten minutes ago...

Schoolboy builds cars, thanks to his dad's education

 

Young mechanic Obakeng held a spanner before he could talk

Karabo LedwabaJOURNALIST
Obakeng Thetele, 18, from Bloemfontein has built a car
SOcars1604 Obakeng Thetele, 18, from Bloemfontein has built a car
Image: SUPLLIED

A young mechanic that has put his hometown on the map for his self-made cars says he held a spanner in his hands even before he could talk.

Obakeng Thetele, 18, from Bloemfontein was inspired by his father who taught him how to fix cars.

“Both my parents are teachers but my father is also a mechanic who taught me how to fix cars from an early age,” he said.

Thetele, who is a grade 11 pupil at Brebner High School, said he always wanted a car but was impatient to wait for adulthood and to be employed, so he decided to build his own cars.

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“I started in 2018 but I really focused during lockdown and made the cars move. It was really difficult because I didn’t have parts but my dad was able to buy me an old motorbike which I took apart. It’s always been a dream of mine to have a car and since I could not afford to buy one I decided to start making my own,” he said.

“I’m really thankful to my dad because when I battled with things such as mounting an engine he showed me the way.”

He used the parts from the motorbike and old scrapyard cars to make the engine run. 

“Now I can drive around my street but not yet ready to go far,” he said.

Thetele said he wants to go to a technical and vocational education and training college to study something related to mechanical engineering and also wants to get started on his third car project after learning from his mistakes. 

“My dream is to have my own car brand. I want to have a factory that will allow me to make my dreams come true.”

Since showing off his skills on social media, his story has garnered him many fans. 

“The love I've been receiving from American people is overwhelming. They message me saying they love my work and want to share it with other people.”

His father Leetile said he is proud of his son's accomplishments. 

“I’m very proud of him. He has taken after me and unfortunately when I was younger I did not have support, so I do the little that I can to give him my support,” Thetele senior said .

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