11 Sep 2017

Thirty-two year old Mr Pithetu Shakamene of Nokaneng is a visionary who believes his inventions will change the world. He is positive that it is not where you come from that defines you, but rather where you are going.

Speaking in an interview recently, Mr Shakamene defined his work as art made by the gods. His work includes sculpting and creating moving mechanisms which children call “robocop.” He also makes decorative products such as whales, crocodiles, flower pots and others.

His love for carving started early in his childhood and he drew inspiration from his father, Mr Shakamene Mokopi who carved for fun and was also a gifted mechanic.

“I did not complete my formal education.  I only did Standard One up to Five at Etsha 13 Primary School. After I left school, I started imitating my father’s work just to pass time,” Mr Shakamene explained.

Surprisingly, it started dawning on him that he was actually good, and even better than his father when it came to sculpturing.

Since odd jobs were hard to come by in Etsha 13, he decided to move up north to Nokaneng.

There, unexpectedly, a different kind of job awaited him. Since he had no means of survival, he settled to being a herdsman.

Even though the job shielded Mr Shakamene from the pangs of hunger, it did not ease his longing for carving.

In 2015, he took a leap of faith and finally left his post in Ditloung cattlepost and followed his heart to venture into his craft in Nokaneng.

He wanted to carve, not just ordinary sculptures, but ones with mechanisms, specialising in automobiles.

He drew delight from seeing his inventions move.

The chatty businessman highlighted that before his business, he made research about the type of wood to use in sculpturing. He later settled for palm tree also known as mokolwane and a certain tree called muzindangoma which has the features of the morula tree.

Both trees are tender and soft to the touch and at the same time are long-lasting.

While Mr Shakamene’s first ever invention was a moving aeroplane, he later progressed and created a moving truck and then later on, a traditional lawn mower.

“Making a complete mechanism requires a lot of scrap metals such as mortar, gears, car batteries, panels, nails and others. I also use vanishing polish on the wood to acquire a beautiful finish. I had to improvise and use waste material in achieving my goal.

Old DVD players, worn-out car batteries and other electronics can be useful in making a solid end product,” he said.

Mr Shakamene noted that the type of designs he makes depends on the mood he is in, but said his flair was God-given.

In all his designs, he said he makes sure to highlight the traditional and cultural aspect.

For instance, his newly-invented lawn mower was shaped to perfection using mokolwane. He also used a wild cat’s head as the overall base of the mower’s mechanism.

Mr Shakamene emphasised that all these deeds were easy because he was a self-taught electrician of note. Anything, he says that deals with electronics, he can do with his eyes closed.

He sells some of his merchandise in Etsha 13 where the market is promising due to the movement of tourists in the region.However, he highlighted that most residents in Etsha and Nokaneng were not supportive of his business as they want to buy his products at a low price.

Their preferred pricing is usually around P30 and P40 which is too low for a hardworker like himself.

For example, he worked in his moving truck for six months and thus could not settle for parting with it at a low price preferred by locals.

“I work my fingers to the bone to make ends meet and sometimes I can go for days without a decent meal, and yet others take what I do for granted which is really disheartening,” he said.

Like any other business, Mr Shakamene’s business has faced various hurdles along the way. As for now, his business is not making much of a profit because he does not have a working space and he cannot afford to rent one.

He also decries lack of welding machines hence he at times is forced to lend machinery from other people at a fee of course.

He also cited using old materials like car batteries as a disadvantage. However, he has no choice because most of the materials he uses are expensive.

He bemoans that there is no market in Nokaneng and surroundings to market his products.

God willing, he craves to one day be able to sell his merchandise in Maun’s New Mall where tourists visit in numbers.

The acute businessman’s dreams and aspirations are to see his business grow in leaps and bounds not just in Botswana but worldwide. His other wish is to secure sponsors to make his dreams become a reality.
With gratitude, Mr Shakamene acknowledged the Almighty for granting him a drilling brain that works and invents new ideas daily.

In years to come, his wish is to build an arcade game as well as an aeroplane much bigger than the one he has already designed. As long as he is still breathing, the sky is the limit for Mr Shakamene. BOPA