| Author | :David MacGregor |
| Originally Published by | :Daily Despatch |
| Published | :Aug 30, 2010 |
GETTING good grades and spending hours in the pub are two things every student dreams of mastering. Although most invariably fall short one way or the other, two Rhodes University masters students are living the life – studying and successfully running their own campus residence pub.
“This is the perfect student job,” super-sized Tafadzwa “Beef” Mutengwa chuckled – between sips on an ice cold beer. Nodding in agreement, petite 27-year-old Zambian Chishala “Chish” Lukwesa says the odd couple got the plum job after clocking up “many hours” propping up the pub as customers. “Last year we spent all our time on the other side of the counter buying drinks, now we sell them.”
And, if you think running a student pub is one big party, think again. When they are not hitting the books themselves or pouring shots for fellow students, Chish and Beef still find time to do other part-time work – like tutoring second year students – to earn extra money. “My mom had to take a R120 000 loan to pay for me and my sister to both stay and study at Rhodes, and there was no money left for us to live on every month,” mathematical statistics student Beef explained. Instead of sitting around waiting for handouts, Mutengwa took any extra work he could find so he could support himself and his third year pharmacy sister Tendai. “I also give her some money every month so she can survive,” he explained.
Although Chish is on a scholarship, she could also do with extra cash. Standing behind the dark wood bar counter at the Flare Path Pub in the Gavin Relly Postgraduate Village on the outskirts of Settler City, the duo joked they got the year-long pub concession based on their track record there.
When Rhodes University bought the Settlers Motel several years ago, the popular pub was part of the deal. Instead of closing it down, a year-long concession was given to post graduate students – based on written submissions to the warden.
Chish and Beef won the rights to operate the pub on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights based on their written submission and undying support of the pub the year before. “Running the pub, we are assured of getting some bread – and a bit of bacon now and again as a treat.” With the pub open from “7.30pm ’til the last patron drops”, the duo – who both know how it feels to be “financially broke” – often dish out free drinks to patrons, like the previous “owner” did for them last year. “We can’t forget that we are also students and we live here,” Chish explained.
A melting pot of nationalities, the 80- plus students in the post-grad village can unwind with a few cut-price drinks, some intellectual debate and a game or two of pool or darts. They also do not have to run the risk of drinking and driving – considering home is a short stagger from the pub.
Besides making much-needed money, the duo is also learning valuable life skills. “I want to work in investment banking … but I think I also want to own my own bar one day,” Mutengwa explained.
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