The man who lifts 50kg bag of cement with his teeth and carries his community’s hope

Sione Amidu, [email protected]
THE dust and heat of Vubachikwe Mine tell their own story — one of hard work, long days, and lives shaped by whatever opportunities come and go. It is in this setting that a young man has quietly become something people talk about wherever they gather. He does not hold a position of power, nor does he wear a uniform that sets him apart. What makes him stand out is something much simpler, yet impossible to ignore.
He is 27 years old, and people stop what they are doing when he prepares to show what he can do. The man can lift a 50kg bag of cement using only his teeth.
His real name is Macbeen Mwele, though around the mine very few people call him that anymore. To most, he is known only as Samende — a name taken from the isiNdebele word for cement. Over time, it has become part of who he is, tied to the one thing that sets him apart from everyone else.
Eight years ago, it started in the most ordinary way. A group of friends talking, laughing, and setting a challenge. Someone said it could not be done. He decided to try. What followed turned a simple moment into something that would define him.
Since that day, what began as just a bet has grown into something much bigger. It is no longer just a trick — it is a way of life.
Vubachikwe itself carries a long history. Opened in the 1940s, it was once one of the busiest gold mines in the country. Thousands of people worked there. The township was alive with activity, with schools full of children, a clinic serving families, and a market where people traded daily.
Today, things are different. Parts of the mine are quiet. Machines that once ran day and night now stand idle. Many people have left, and those who remain often struggle to find steady work. Jobs are few, and payments are not always certain.
In this kind of place, people find their own ways to get by. Even something small can become important. Even something unusual can turn into a means of survival.
For Samende, it began as a way to earn a drink after work.
“It was just for fun. The guys said no one can lift a 50kg bag of cement with their teeth. I tried, and it worked,” he said.
That moment changed how people saw him.
“Now they call me Samende everywhere I go. I do it when new workers arrive. I put the bag in my mouth, stand up, and hold it for 10 seconds. People clap. Sometimes they give me money in appreciation”.
The bag he lifts is the same one used every day for construction work at the mine. Most men carry it on their shoulders. It is heavy, but it is normal work. Lifting it with teeth alone, however, is something else entirely. It takes strength in the jaw, balance in the body, and control that cannot be faked.
Fellow workers say he can hold the bag for even longer, sometimes up to 15 seconds. Others have tried to copy him, but most fail quickly, leaving with sore jaws and nothing more.
When there is no work at the mine, Samende looks for anything he can do. He carries water, clears land, washes cars — whatever comes his way. Some days bring a little money. Others bring nothing at all.
“When there is no work, I sit and wait. But if someone needs a bag moved, they call me — not because of my back, but because of my teeth,” said Samende.
He charges $1 to carry a bag the usual way, and $2 to lift it with his teeth. On a good day, he might earn $6. That is enough for basic food for his family — mealie meal, cooking oil, and bread.
He has also learned how to protect himself.
“I bite the seam of the bag, not the cement itself. I never do it more than twice a day. I also chew on rubber and do neck exercises at night, tying a rope to a rock and pulling it with my teeth,” he emphasised.
The name Samende carries meaning. In isiNdebele, it speaks of strength, weight, and the kind of work that holds everything together. It is both a joke and a sign of respect.
For many young people in Vumbachikwe, his story has become something they understand well. Jobs are few, and life is not easy. Finding your own way matters.
“When there is no salary, you must create your own value. Samende cannot change the mine life, but he changed how people see him. Now he is someone,” says Mr Thando Ncube (29), a miner who has worked at Vumbachikwe for seven years.
That change is clear. Children call out his name when they see him walking by. At the market, some vendors give him food without asking for payment. People know him, and they respect what he can do.
At places like the Fort Group shops and Ntokozweni Bar, people gather to watch him lift the bag. There is laughter, clapping, and for a short moment, life feels lighter.
Gogo MaSibanda, who has worked as a vendor at the market for 30 years, says she enjoys watching him.
“I have seen many young men come and go. Most leave for South Africa. But this boy, he stays and he makes us laugh,” she said.
She also sees the kind side of him.
“He uses his teeth for the big bags, and his hands for my 20kgs bags. He says, ‘Gogo, I cannot let you struggle.’ That boy has a good heart. His teeth are strong, but his heart is stronger,” she said.
She hopes his strength might one day bring change beyond him.
“This place is forgotten and we hope that if gets into such a kind of weight lifting programme, he may put our mine on the map. Who knows, maybe investors will come too. Maybe our children will have jobs again”.
Since the mine reduced its operations, the number of workers has dropped sharply. Many young men now look for other ways to survive, including informal mining or crossing the border to trade.
In this situation, something like Samende’s talent draws attention. Videos of him lifting cement bags are shared on phones and social media, with people celebrating his strength.
Still, there are concerns.
“If he gets sponsorship, he can train properly. If he gets injured, he has nothing. We must think about that,” said a concerned resident.
Samende himself is thinking about what lies ahead.
“I saw on YouTube that people lift cars and stones for money. I want to go to Harare. I want to go to South Africa. I want people to know that Vubachikwe has strength. Here I train with cement bags and rocks. If I get a gym, I can lift more. I can make Zimbabwe proud,” he declared.
Without access to proper equipment, he uses whatever he can find. Buckets filled with water, old tyres, and even a mine wall are part of his daily routine.
“As long as my teeth are strong and my neck is fine, I will do it. One day I want to open my own hardware shop. Then I will sell cement, not lift it. But first, I must show the world what I can do,” he stressed.
For now, he remains part of everyday life at Vubachikwe — a young man who has turned something unusual into something meaningful. In a place where life can feel uncertain, his strength has given him a name, a purpose, and a way forward. What comes next will depend on who notices, and what chances come his way.