Saiccor - The First 50 Years 5.8 MB - Sappi

The First Fifty Years
Goodenough agreed to the dam, but asked if we could get his
generator back in working order as he refused to buy power from
Eskom� On examination the equipment was so old spares no longer
existed� Goodenough was disappointed, but declined our offer of a
new one – all he wanted was to see the equipment he had built with
his father working again�
Bill never married, and after his parents died and his brother
Kenneth moved away, he lived alone to the end of his days in the
house above the gauging weir (which now bears his name – although
the original Goodenough weir was at the dam wall where it was
used to divert water to the water turbine)� He died on 3 July 1996
aged 82�
The Indian farming community who had operated on the south
bank at Fountainhead since the turn of the twentieth century were
happy enough for a dam to be built, but wanted Saiccor to ensure a
water supply and to look after their pumps at the dam� One of the
most hospitable and enterprising of the farmers was Nad Govender,
who, in addition to farming, operated a mobile ‘supermarket’ in the
area and also had a vegetable shop in Umkomaas� He soon approached
me about a job for his son Sugan, a chemical engineer, who at that
time was working at Sasolburg� Once we received his CV, we offered
Sugan a position, much to Nad’s delight� Sugan joined Saiccor on 1
November 1994 and was promoted to Production Manager on 1
September 1996� Sadly, Nad died suddenly on 24 September 1997
(his birthday)�
Sugan Govender (LEFT) and his father, Nad
The ndaba with the local community took place on a Saturday
morning at the junction of the roads going to Goodenough’s house
and Goodenough’s weir� Ted Beesley, Moses Magubane and I were
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Bill Goodenough