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NKOYOYO RESIDENTS TELL ENTREPRENEUR: WE DON’T WANT YOUR COFFIN BUSINESS HERE

01/06/2024 10:13:00 Nkosingiphile Myeni

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MBABANE – An entrepreneur from Nkoyoyo has been ordered by a group of residents to stop his coffin-making business, because it evokes emotions related to sadness.

The businessman, Sibusiso Makhabane, is the proprietor of Makhabane Enterprises (Pty) Ltd. In an interview, he described this treatment as persecution and violation of his fundamental right to earn a living through a skill he learnt patiently and earnestly to master. He had an altercation with a certain group of residents who felt they were choked by fear whenever they passed by his factory.

Makhabane does not understand why he was being persecuted for being a carpenter. He manufactures and sells the coffins. The 41-year-old businessman said he has been told to leave the area and take his business elsewhere. He said he, at some point, was harassed in public view adjacent to Nkoyoyo sports ground, also not far from Saint John’s Primary School.

He set up a structure of IRB sheets and concrete, where he operates his business. It is located next to a spaza shop.
Irked by the residents, Makhabane has preferred charges against some of the people who allegedly harassed and insulted him.

Affected

“I am surprised that there are still people in some communities who fight income-generating projects. This reminds me of the times of xenophobia, which has affected Asians. There is no better way to solve this matter than to engage me in talks, not what they are doing now,” the businessman said. Narrating the incident, Makhabane said, on May 9, which was a holiday marking the Accession Day, he was at the workshop minding his own business when a group of people ‘invaded’ his factory, demanding to talk to him about something very sensitive.

He said one community member told him they had come to relay a message that he should appear before the ‘council’ of community members to answer questions about his coffin manufacturing business. Makhabane said he did not heed the order, plainly turning it down.

Disobeyed

He said he disobeyed the summons because they had no authority to convene a meeting to infringe on his right to offer service to the nation and also earn a living. He said he would have responded promptly if the umphakatsi was the one summoning him. Makhabane said things escalated. After defying their instruction, he said a group of about 20 people came to his workstation to demand to know why he was disrespectful and defiant. The message bearer was also there, he said, with some other community police members.

Manhandled

“One of them kicked the door of the workshop and vandalised it. They gained entry by force. Others hurled insults at me. Another manhandled me. It all happened suddenly. As all of these things were happening, I maintained peace and at the same time trying to respond to their questions,” Makhabane alleged.

He said he tried to explain to them that he was exhibiting a skill that benefitted emaSwati across the country, and the residents did not listen to him. Makhabane said he told them that he was a legitimate businessman. He said his business was registered with government.

He also said he told them that his core business was carpentry and he could produce anything out of wood, including coffins. Makhabane said they continued to pester him with questions, asking about his clientele. He said he responded that he manufactured the coffins and sold them as per orders from his clients.

He said he told them that he also supplied funeral parlours with freshly constructed coffins and assisted anyone who put in an order. Makhabane said he has been in the business for over five years and did not understand what might have caused them to mistreat him. He said they insulted and called him offensive words including that he was a tenant in the community (sicashi) not a resident by kukhonta while questioning his business. Makhabane claimed he has also been told that the sight of coffins may resonate badly with experiences of some who lost had to bury their loved ones.

Complained

He also said that he heard it being said coffins were not a good sight for children who pass-by the workshop. He said they complained that his business could attract bad omen for the children, among other accusations levelled against him. However, Makhabane disputed these allegations, and decided to report the matter to the police on May 13. Eswatini News understands that there are four community members, two of whom are community rangers who have been charged with crimen injuria.

Crimen injuria is a criminal act of unlawfully, intentionally and seriously impairing the dignity of another. The other two are civilians, including a woman. Makhabane is the complainant. The four charged residents came to the Eswatini National Court in Mbabane on Wednesday, where they were advised that the case has been postponed to Monday.

Their names are known to this publication, but cannot be revealed for now pending their first official court appearance. Makhabane runs a number of business ventures including carpentry workshops, interior design and fitting and an agricultural venture. Eswatini News team paid a visit to the workshop. However, we could not find the coffins. Makhabane said the last order was delivered to his clients a week ago.

Workstation

Inside the workshop, there were four machines to cut and remodel wood and other tools. There were also wooden pins among other products constructed of wood. He explained that he intended to expand the workstation and partition it into an office and the production space. A few metres from the workshop, this reporter talked to some community members, with one of them saying they were tired of being dictated to by tenants in the area.

Another said, perhaps, the sight of coffins attracted bad omen for them, but could not be sure, adding that others might have bad memories of their buried loved ones after seeing the coffins. He expressed a sense of discomfort.

Question

However another community member responded with a question as to whether it was right or wrong to have a coffin manufacturing business in a peri-urban area, operating within compounds where people lived with their children.
Responding, Makhabane said it came to his attention that rumours were being circulated that perhaps he would be tempted to do wicked things if he continued to run the business in the community.

He vehemently denied any ungodly acts he might be tempted to do. He pointed out that as much as there was no evidence to substantiate this allegation, he was surprised that some people would think of him in that way. “The media would have caught wind of that by now and there would have been arrests by now if such true,” he said.
He said he has had three instances whereby he fixed for clients some coffins with defects. He said he did not ask any questions, but fixed them, pointing out that he was of assistance to the community.

Rumour

Makhabane also said that one of the people in the group, a woman, had been spreading a rumour that he did something untoward to her – fondling her, an allegation he denied and described as a smear campaign engineered to make him look bad and unwanted in the community. He said there were no charges of these allegations.

Makhabane said from within the group, he singled out the four for calling him names (tinhlamba), whereby they also shouted on top of their voices that he was a tenant renting one of the apartments in the community (sicashi), not a resident by kukhonta (acquiring property in terms of Eswatini Law and Custom). He said these utterances offended him. He said he was only in business, rightfully so.

He said one of the reasons he was operating the business at Nkoyoyo was that he was not renting the business structure, but owned it. He said he was still contemplating what to do to justify himself as a responsible citizen.
“I would have understood if they said I must not operate my business there, because there is a special economic zone to conduct my business. They should suggest another place for me to work at instead of the blabber,” Makhabane said.

Carpentry

He said he was employed three people. On top of that, he said there have been four apprentices who have approached him to learn and practice carpentry and was doing it for them for free. He said one of these was a Mozambican national, while two others now have their own businesses. Makhabane said one was in the business of floor tiling while another one was in a similar business of interior fitting and carpentry. He said he has other business ventures, including growing vegetables and operating a shop.