Driving his dream into the future

MURPHY Pangula (27) is a young taxi driver who did not allow his minimal educational qualifications get in the way of making a living.

After failing Grade 10, the Katima Mulilo resident knew the only job he could get was driving a taxi.

When The Namibian caught up with Pangula this week, he said although getting a job after failing Grade 10 was not easy, he now owns a taxi and earns a monthly income of about N$10 000.

“It was painful for me when I failed Grade 10 in 2009 because I knew that no one would want to employ me in a proper job. I went to the village and herded our cattle for a few months, but that did not work out.

“I knew that I wanted more from my life, so I came back to Katima Mulilo,” he said, adding that he got a job at a bar. But it was not for long, and he went back to the village for another year to herd cattle.

“However, in 2012, I heard that the Namibian Training Authority was offering a bridging course for those who wanted to pursue a career in vocational training, so I decided to enrol.

“After the course, we got our recommendations to apply to various vocational institutions, and I enrolled at the Ondangwa commercial college to do accounting and finance.

“Unfortunately, I only managed to pass my first year, but failed the second year due to some challenges. I then came back to Katima Mulilo again,” he noted.

Pangula said since he was unable to get a decent job, he decided to become a taxi driver because looking for other jobs had not worked for him in the past.

“The only thing I knew I would be able to do on my return to Katima Mulilo was to be a taxi driver. In 2015, I started driving a friend’s taxi. That was not my dream, though, because I wanted to drive my own, but I knew I had to be patient,” he explained.

Last year, he got a perfect offer, which allowed him to drive a Toyota Corolla sedan if he could raise N$90 000 for the owner, and the car would become his.

“Last year in June, I met a certain gentleman who told me I could work for him and after making N$90 000 for him, the car would be mine.

“The price of the car was too high, and my friends told me the car was expensive, and I could get a cheaper vehicle elsewhere. However, I had no choice because I was desperate, and I had no money to buy a cheaper car elsewhere. This deal was perfect for me, so I took it,” he continued.

The car was in excellent condition, so Pangula knew that he could make it work and raise the money in one year.

“The car had no major mechanical faults. I only encountered minor problems that could be fixed in two hours, so it did not affect my business that much.

The agreement I had with the owner of the car was to pay him a minimum of N$7 000 a month, but some months I would push myself and pay him N$10 000.

“On June 30 this year, I finished paying for the car. I am now the proud owner of the vehicle.

“It is nothing fancy, but it takes me places,” he smiled, adding that he is now working for himself.

Pangula further vowed that this was only the beginning, and he hopes to expand his taxi business and employ his relatives too.

“I intend on expanding my business, and next year I want to buy a second car that will be driven by my brother because he is unemployed.

“I would like to advise the youth that in life, everything has its own time. Therefore, you just have to work hard and be focused.

You can play however you want, but you should not lose focus of your goals, and abstain from abusing alcohol and drugs,” he stressed.

Pangula is currently providing for his four siblings and cousin Sikota Davis (22), who is studying to become a teacher at the Unam Katima Mulilo campus.

Davis described his cousin as a very loving and responsible person.

“Pangula is a good guy, who takes care of me and his siblings with the little money he makes from the taxi business. In fact, I actually do not have anyone else to help me out financially every month other than him. I am grateful for what he is doing because these days, it is very rare for some family members to do that for you. I look up to him because I feel he is my older brother,” he added.