Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Soweto youth builds robots from old rubbish
BY the time he was 10, Mpho Makutu had already built a remote-control car – from rubbish. Using the waste he had scoured from a landfill near his home in a rural village in Limpopo, he designed the fully functional sports car that could move at different speeds, play music and even popped the bonnet and flipped the doors open.
“I did this… with no guidance at all,” says Makutu with pride.
“I come from a very poor home. My family relies on my father’s social welfare grants to survive.
“I’ve never had the luxury of going out to buy different materials to fund my passion. Instead, I spent most of my free time digging through trash to find materials I can use.”
After the remote car, Makutu set his sights on bigger and better inventions. Over the next few years he would go on to build a robot, a crane and even a functional water pump system from rubbish and spare parts he picked up.
It was evident from early on that Makutu possessed a rare talent. “I realised that I had a God-given talent and so I should do everything I could to nurture that talent.
“I didn’t read any books, I didn’t watch any videos or anything like that. Everything I know is self-taught.
“When I sat down to build something, it all just came together. My mind just seems to be wired that way.”
But Makutu, 20, knew that as long as he stayed in his village, his talent would go unnoticed. After matriculating with a diploma, he left home and headed for Joburg with just the clothes on his back. That was two years ago.
“My dream was to come to Joburg and hopefully get recognised by somebody who would appreciate what I do and notice my talent.”
However, things haven’t worked out exactly as he planned. He now lives in a tiny room in a yard in Jabulani, Soweto.
He can barely pay his rent every month and struggles to feed himself.
He earns a living by showcasing his fancy inventions to tourists who visit Soweto.
“I spend most of my time on Vilakazi Street showing off my different inventions to tourists who walk by. People are really impressed by what they see because I create things out of trash, but I barely make any money to survive. Some days I make as little as R80.”
That means Makutu still has to rely on waste products to build his innovations.
His latest invention is a red battery-powered robot that grabs objects and moves them around at the touch of seven different wire levers.
He took two weeks to build this marvel using discarded cardboard boxes‚ wires and scrap metal from dump sites around Joburg.
Eager to demonstrate how it works, Makutu uses the levers to move the robot towards a plastic car. The robot then picks up the car and transports it to another location.
“Isn’t that cool!” he says. “The robot is powered by a battery that is used in an lift. I managed to pick it up for a bargain at a scrap shop.”
Makutu is not interested in selling any of his inventions, even though he may be strapped for cash.
“Even though I struggle, it’s not the money that I’m looking for. I just want somebody to appreciate and recognise what I do and hopefully that will open some doors for me.
“There are days when I don’t even eat, because I’ve spent my money buying scrap metal for my inventions. I believe in myself and what I’m doing and I hope that one day it all pays off for me.”
Makutu is also hoping his journey will inspire other young children from the townships to follow their dreams and passions.
“I grew up with nothing and I still have nothing.
“But that hasn’t stopped me from pursuing my dreams.
“Perhaps if I lived in another country like the USA, a company like Google would be interested in what I do.
“All I want is an opportunity to showcase what I do and to show how passionate I am.
“Young black children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds like me should never give up on their dreams even if the odds are stacked against them.
“One day everything will work out. Be defiant and brave. That’s what I keep telling myself every single day,” he said.
Makutu dreams of running his own workshop, producing meaningful creations that create employment.
He has a “plastering machine” in mind as his next ultimate invention.
“This can solve the problem of construction workers falling from heights while plastering houses.”