JOHANNESBURG — Two months after leaving Birmingham in the United Kingdom, Zimbabwean-born traveller Nkosilathi Mathe has reached Johannesburg — but his journey is far from over.
The 50-year-old is driving from the UK to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and is now making his way to Cape Town before heading north towards Zimbabwe.Mathe left the UK on July 4 and arrived in Johannesburg on Friday, having travelled through nine European countries and several African countries along the way.Speaking to Gauteng News after reaching Johannesburg, Mathe said the journey had tested him physically and mentally, but had also given him a different perspective on Africa and its people.“It’s been challenges, it’s hard moments, it’s difficult moments, and then it’s had its beautiful moments,” he said.
The journey was an ambition Mathe had held for years.“I love travelling, I love seeing different people, learning about different cultures,” he said.He said he only had the financial resources and the right timing to undertake the journey after completing his studies.Mathe left Zimbabwe for the UK in July 2000, saying the deteriorating economy at the time pushed him to look for better opportunities.“I just saw an opportunity to seek a better life in the UK,” he said.He later studied social care and social policy before completing a master’s degree in social work. He has been working as a social worker in the UK.
Nine countries in three days
Before reaching Africa, Mathe travelled through nine European countries in three days, including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco and Spain.He deliberately chose the longer route to experience the difference between travelling within Europe and moving between African countries.“I only presented my passport crossing into, well, leaving UK and never again until Morocco in Africa,” he said.The experience changed once he entered Africa.
Mathe said African border crossings were slower and more complicated, while visa fees, long queues and poor roads added to the difficulties of travelling across the continent.“The amount of wasted time at borders, you see trucks queuing up at borders. It’s such a waste,” he said.He believes better roads and easier movement between African countries would help both travelers and businesses.“Can we not just concentrate on roads? Roads, just making travel easy for people and trade,” he said.
Four hours detained in Mauritania
The journey has included several dangerous and unsettling moments.In Mauritania, Mathe said he was detained for about four hours after border guards became agitated about him recording with a camera while approaching the border crossing into Senegal.He said his equipment was nearly confiscated and some of his footage was deleted.Mathe also said he encountered police officers during the journey who attempted to obtain money from him.But some of his most frightening experiences came when he was travelling through isolated areas.
In Mauritania, his roof rack broke while he was travelling on a muddy road, leaving him outside his vehicle near a river while he worked to free fuel tanks.“I wasn’t sure while I was outside there getting the tanks free from the car whether there were real hippos or crocodiles or whatever wild animals,” he said.In Angola, his vehicle broke down when the starter stopped working.He had to walk for between 30 and 45 minutes through an isolated area to reach a worksite he had passed earlier.The workers eventually helped him recover the vehicle.“It was a difficult moment, but quite a nice moment to find that people are quite helpful,” Mathe said.
Another incident happened while travelling from Angola towards Zambia, when he encountered a wooden bridge at night.He described it as a “dodgy wooden bridge” with gaps between the planks.Local villagers came to his assistance after hearing his vehicle and used their phone torches to guide him across.“They comforted me and guided me and said, ‘No, don’t worry, cars cross this bridge all the time. So, come along, we’ll guide you,’” he said.
‘We are one people’
For Mathe, the most significant lesson from the journey has not been the roads or border crossings, but the people he has met.He said he was particularly struck by the welcome he received in countries such as Mozambique and Zambia.“We are one people,” he said.Mathe said the experience had made him think about the challenges of xenophobia in South Africa.“It’s sad what’s going on with this situation with xenophobia in South Africa where we’re all one people, but people want to separate themselves from other people,” he said.
He believes African countries should make it easier for people and goods to move across borders.“Africa should be more united, and as long as we all just unite and make trade free, travel free, all countries can be successful if they just unite together as a continent,” he said.His own experience with vehicle breakdowns has reinforced his belief in the willingness of ordinary Africans to help one another.Mathe said people helped him in Angola, Zambia and, most recently, Johannesburg.“I wouldn’t have been able to do that in Europe,” he said, referring to the help he received from people who assisted with his vehicle.His vehicle was repaired in Johannesburg on Monday morning.
Cape Town next, then Bulawayo
Mathe’s journey is continuing.His next major stop is Cape Town, after which he plans to head north towards Zimbabwe and eventually Bulawayo.The trip is also supporting a fundraising effort for SOS Children’s Villages UK.Mathe said he has a donation link on his Facebook page, with funds going towards the organization.“Hopefully I can do a decent amount, as part of this journey, to do that fundraising,” he said.For now, Johannesburg marks another milestone in a journey that has already taken him thousands of kilometers from the UK.But with Cape Town and Zimbabwe still ahead, Mathe has more roads, borders and experiences to navigate before he finally reaches Bulawayo.
