South African man's dream of flight comes true
24 June 2015
What came to Vusimuzi Mbatha in a dream turned into an exhilarating reality when
he finally took to the skies in a helicopter today.
From the passenger seat of the chopper, looking down on the Popo Molefe informal
settlement outside Rustenburg that he calls home, he spoke of tasting freedom. "My
dreams have come true. I never thought it would happen for me. I feel liberated,"
he said after his flip.
Mbatha was given a ride in a Bidvest Protea Coin chopper after the security group
heard of his exploits.
Before embarking on his 15-minute flight, Mbatha seemed unfazed by the crowd
who had come to see his dream take flight.
He captured the hearts of people around the country after news broke of the
helicopter he built from bits of scrap metal, and his dream of one day flying his
home-made aircraft. People who read his story made numerous pledges to help
Mbatha realise his dream, saying what an inspiration he
was.
Taking flight
Today, dressed in camouflage pants and a beanie, he showed little emotion as he
walked around the yard where his hand-made chopper was parked outside his
shack. He showed his creation to Bidvest Protea Coin and explained how he had
imagined his aircraft taking off.
Mbatha started building the helicopter in 2014. During a strike at the nearby
platinum mines, he saw a chopper circling the area. Shortly afterwards, he began
dreaming of flying and decided to build his own aircraft.
Bidvest made his dream come true when they landed their own chopper on a dusty
football pitch near Mbatha's shack. "He is so lucky. Maybe they'll even give him a
job," said one person in the excited crowd.
Quiet man
Described by residents as a quiet man who was always on his own, Mbatha walked
to the chopper with his arms crossed over his chest, looking at his feet. His brother,
Thamsanqa, who provided the isiXhosa
translation, walked beside him.
A hint of emotion finally showed on Mbatha's face when George Tonking of Bidvest
handed him his very own flying uniform – a blue overall with his name embroided
on it. Mbatha beamed with pride as he was helped into his uniform.
The crowd roared its approval and residents whipped out their cellphones to capture
the moment as Mbatha posed in his flying gear. "Nothing like this has ever
happened in this area. Never before have we seen a flying machine and today,
someone we know and live with is going to be flying in one," said a woman with a
baby on her hip.
The chopper took off and circled the area above the ululating, waving crowd. "This
man has brought growth to this community," said Israel Mamomane, adding that
Mbatha was a role model for the youth.
"He might not be very educated but he showed us that when you have wisdom, you
can go far."
Local hero
Luvuyo Maqwane, the ward
councillor for the area, said Mbatha was a hero in the
community. "He has left a legacy for the people of this area. People will now know
of Popo Molefe."
But where to from here for Mbatha? After inspecting Mbatha's homemade
helicopter, Bidvest Protea Coin chief operations officer Waal de Waal said it "needed
a bit more work" before it could take to the skies.
The company has offered to help Mbatha land a job so he can earn an income and
build not just a better helicopter, but a better future for himself.
Source: News24Wire
Vusimuzi Mbatha's dream to fly in a helicopter comes true. (Image: News24Wire)
Vusimuzi Mbatha stands in front of his homemade helicopter. (Image: News24Wire)
