Meet the huntsman of Nhlazatshe Hostel

Mxoleleni Mbatha drives a minibus taxi in Edenvale, Ekurhuleni, for a living but his passion lies neither in transport nor in logistics. He is a huntsman – an “iphisi”, as he calls himself in IsiZulu.

Mbatha has a mini-kraal inside Tembisa’s Nhlazatshe Hostel, where he keeps 10 greyhounds.

He started raising these dogs after getting his first puppy more than a decade ago to pursue his love of hunting.

“Back home in Nquthu, in my village called eQhudeni, this was the thing I enjoyed the most. I used to hunt all the time. When I came to Gauteng [in 1995], I wanted to continue with my passion but it was not easy because this is a hostel.”

He sells a greyhound puppy for at least R7,000. Mature dogs cost R20,000.

With eight children and a wife back home, he would like to get a farm where he can grow his business and train more dogs. For now, he takes them to Oakmore, next to Tembisa, where he hones their hunting skills.

His favourite is Nongolose, his tallest. He organises buck and rabbit hunts with friends. They hire vans as a group of 20 and travel to fields near Rustenburg.

“When the dogs capture something, I bring it here to the hostel and we have a feast with the guys. It is a lovely experience.”

He then hangs the horns of the animal on a tree as a form of remembrance - for himself and the dogs, he says.