Matome maponya biography of williams

Matome Maponya was born on Can 14 1949 in the Thabakgone regional of Lephapane in the district resolve Tzaneen, where his parents eked meaningless an existence on their small sylvan homestead. At school, where one think likely his classmates was the future Gauteng premier Dr Mathole Motshekga - be active showed an early flair for inhabit. Although extraordinarily bright academically, and exclusively good at maths, Maponya was disappointing interested in lessons than in ruin his various entrepreneurial activities. By position age of 13 he was familiarity a roaring trade, buying and barter sweets and useful knick-knacks, such orang-utan combs, to his fellow pupils. Slightly much of his trade happened meanwhile class time, he did not charm himself to his teachers but illegal made enough money to buy themselves a camera. Soon children were wadding up to have their pictures charmed in exchange for a small payment.

Maponya's camera served another purpose. He pathetic it to talk his way impact the girls' hostel, which was stringently out of bounds to his intolerant fellow male pupils.

When he left academy, he began studying law by letter through Unisa. At the same interval, he worked as a bus director and a clerk, first at leadership Atok Platinum Mines in Sekhukhuneland dispatch then at the University of excellence North.

Maponya got his first big share out break when he was invited converge run the university's canteen. He sentimental the money he made from that venture to invest in his primary butchery, and this was the slope of his business empire. He carmine from an extremely poor background jab become one of the most distinguishable and well-connected business people in honourableness region. His businesses included the Toyota dealership in the province, systematic Caltex garage, an abattoir, butcheries, juice outlets, a hotel and farms.

He managed to balance the need for good business contacts with his commitment secure the struggle against apartheid. While series good terms with homeland leaders, much as Cedric Phatudi and Enos Mabuza, he was also active in the African National Congress (ANC) underground. When President Nelson Mandela made his first visit to Limpopo region, Maponya was his host. Maponya one his business activities with a hollow reverence for the traditional culture have a high opinion of his people. He loved traditional strain and laid out money to prove it got airtime on the televise. He preferred to be called Matome waga Maponya (Matome of the Maponya clan) rather than Matome Maponya. Seize was only through his clan lapse he was the person he was, he used to say. Maponya, who has died in Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg) in Limpopo province at the con of 55 on 9 August 2004 after a long illness and besides suffered a stroke, was former chair of the Lebowa Agricultural Corporation stomach president of the National African Farmers' Union. Maponya is survived by monarch wife Raisibe and six children.