A video of a shack in Joe Slovo, located in Langa, has been doing the rounds on social media after it was discovered and filmed by photographer Joshua Rubin.

Rubin was in the township to help out a local man in need of a home, when he met Cape Town builder Fernando Mkhabela.

Rubin asked Mkhabela about his building skills and instead of talking about them, he decided to show Rubin what he was capable of.

Here’s TimesLIVE,

Rubin met Mkhabela, a self-taught builder, plumber and electrician, after he had raised enough money to help build a better house for Christopher. Rubin ended up at Mkhabela’s shack as he needed to see his previous work and ensure he could build a decent one for Christopher.

He went back the next day to capture Mkhabela’s home on camera:

The man has skills.

When asked about how he built the place, Mkhabela said this:

“This place, I did my self. No one showed me anything, even small things. Plumbing, electricity, everything I did by myself.”

He said his community is not safe and people live in constant fear of crime, but he decided to build himself a decent home until he can afford to relocate.

With more than 20 000 residents, Joe Slovo is one of the largest townships in South Africa.

The settlement recently made headlines due to protests related to traffic law enforcement operations against minibus taxis.

[source:timeslive]