Mashudu William Munyembani from Musina is imploring the public to join him in the war against pollution. He believes that by practicing recycling habits, people can keep the environment clean and contribute towards preserving natural resources. Munyembani does this by turning old car tyres into beautiful garden chairs and coffee tables, an initiative that has turned him into one of the most respected local artists. This he does in his spare time as he also has a full-time job as a security officer.
Munyembani got the idea from a television show and fell in love with it. "The artwork impressed me so much that I vowed to own it one day. At first, I tried to find someone who could do it for me, but no-one had an idea what I was talking about. After a few months of thinking, I decided to do it myself, although I had no experience at all in this sort of crafting. I went out and looked for old tyres and started making the first chair for myself. The chair was not completely to my satisfaction, so for the next three months I continued to work on it until I was finally satisfied," he said.
After he had completed his first coffee table and chair set, he shared the news on social media, and before long, people started calling him for orders. "Actually, I just wanted a set for myself, but people became interested and asked if I could make for them to. Some of the clients with cars even brought old tyres to me, which made it easier for me. In no time, more and more orders came in, but I could only do it in my spare time after work."
Luckily, Munyembani has a good relationship with local tyre workshops, so getting his material is no problem for him. "First, I clean and polish the dirty tyres. Then I fasten wooden poles to the chairs (for arm rests) with bolts and nuts. I use strong rope to make the seats comfortable. Lastly, I place a round piece wood on top to make a nice, small table," he explained.
Munyembani's artwork has become very popular in his area. He encourages others to consider doing something innovative from recyclables too. "Recycling is the way forward," he said.