“IT’S never too late to be what you might have been.”
These were the words of Silas Ramalete when he received his first driver’s licence at the age of 74!
The madala from Extension 25 in Ga-Rankuwa, Tshwane, said he had always wanted to have a driver’s licence.
“But I was too lazy to go and queue for it when growing up. My urge not to die without owning one made me go for the test,” he told Daily Sun at the Ipeleng Traffic Department in Mabopane on Friday.
He said people were shocked when he went to the driving school to set up an appointment for lessons.
“They didn’t think I would be able to learn how to drive because of my age, but I proved them wrong.”
He said he mastered driving in just a month.
“Actually, it was quite easy. It was as if I had been driving all my life.”
Madala Silas said he was always confident that he would get his licence.
“I was scared but I knew I was going to go home with the licence in my hands,” he said.
The madala said there is power in self-belief. His advice to the youth is: never give up on yourself.
“They should always be determined and eager to learn new things.
“If they want to become anything in life, they need to go for it.”
Kgaogelo Thole (24), another student at Dollar Driving School, said the madala inspired her to try harder.
“We started doing lessons on the same day, but he was better than me and other students in just a few hours,” Kgaogelo said.
