Slain entrepreneur ‘Dinkie’ Mpulu continues to inspire

A year to the day after Motherwell’s “Pallet Dr” was murdered, his mother was finally able to crack a smile after her son’s legacy led a message of uplifting township youth during the inaugural Cabal Talks on Tuesday evening.

Ulundi “Dinkie” Mpulu, 23, was shot dead on May 23 last year, after being chased by assailants while seated in the passenger seat of a car driven by his friend.

The death of the businessman and community leader, just blocks away from the thriving business he had built from scratch, sent shock waves through Nelson Mandela Bay at the time, but served to empower the youth during the event at his The Pallet Doctor tavern and eatery on Tuesday.

The Motherwell Cabal, in collaboration with the Mpulu family, hosted the inaugural Cabal Talks where his mother, Nomfundo, 58, said she was proud to the see the influence her late son had carried in the area.

“My pain of losing him has not gone away.

“We were very close and, to be honest, I did not want to meet anyone [on Tuesday].

“However, we ended up laughing. I am grateful for what they did; that showed me that life has not stopped and I must move on,” Nomfundo said.

About 100 youths and entrepreneurs made their way into the Captain Street venue where they witnessed the screening of the The Pallet Dr — Still Alive documentary produced by Motherwell’s Umabonakude film producer and director, Thulani Soqaga.

Rhino Group managing director Siya Mandla, from Motherwell, a qualified electrical engineer with a master’s degree in business administration, was the speaker.

His talk focused on positioning townships for sustainable socioeconomic development and he encouraged those young people present to make the most of the township economy on their doorstep.

“Yes, the government has a role to play, but you can make it without government funding.

“Mpulu used waste wood and converted [the space] into a restaurant; they started selling livers and the business grew from there,” he said.

Motherwell Cabal member Radal Jordaan said the event was one of many talks to come.

“Ulundi was not just an entrepreneur, but a community leader at heart,” Jordaan said.