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PROGRAMMES<br />
& PRO JECTS<br />
OFFICIAL IN-HOUSE ONLINE PUBLICATION OF THE<br />
NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY<br />
<strong>Vol</strong> 8.4 <strong>August</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />
Wordsmith<br />
Editorial Team<br />
Editor: Kupido Baron<br />
Managing Editor: Marthie Nel<br />
Contributors:<br />
Zee Agherdien<br />
Mthubanzi Mniki<br />
Sivenkosi Mtiya<br />
Siphokazi Nogaya<br />
Lucas Ompi<br />
Princess Tobin-Diouf<br />
Language Editing:<br />
Alta Meurs<br />
In This Edition:<br />
• Change of Leadership<br />
• Focus On: Executive<br />
Secretaries<br />
• Ladies Man Roadblocks<br />
• “Style Diva” Parade<br />
• Women in a Man’s<br />
World<br />
• Telephone Etiquette<br />
• Wordsmith<br />
WEATHER<br />
as per WeatherSA<br />
20 - 25 <strong>August</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />
Sat: 13 - 20<br />
Sun: 10 - 25<br />
Tues: 07 - 20<br />
Wed: 10 - 22<br />
Mon: 08 - 17<br />
Thurs: 11 - 23
Change in Leadership: What Does it<br />
Mean for Staff?<br />
Mayor Trollip added: “All outstanding<br />
forensic audit reports will be tabled and<br />
acted upon and we will have no reservation<br />
in conducting further forensic audits<br />
of irregular contracting and appointments,<br />
if and when necessary.”<br />
New Speaker, Jonathan Lawack, pledged<br />
to be fair, to be objective and to treat every<br />
member of Council the same.<br />
Other issues raised by Mayor Trollip in<br />
his address for immediate attention and<br />
consideration were the Integrated Public<br />
Transport System and the Metro Police,<br />
as well as the eradication of the bucket<br />
sanitation system.<br />
By now all staff members will be familiar<br />
with the outcome of the historic<br />
Council meeting on 18 <strong>August</strong> <strong>2016</strong>, in<br />
a packed Feather Market Centre Auditorium:<br />
a multi-party government, constituting<br />
the DA, UDM, Cope and ACDP<br />
took office. Athol Trollip was appointed<br />
unopposed as the new Executive Mayor<br />
of Nelson Mandela <strong>Bay</strong>, while Cllr Mongameli<br />
Bombani was appointed as Deputy<br />
Executive Mayor. The new Speaker<br />
is well-known former School Principal<br />
Jonathan Lawack, while the Chief Whip<br />
is Werner Senekal of the DA.<br />
New Executive Mayor Athol Trollip<br />
In his inaugural address, Executive Mayor<br />
Athol Trollip committed his tenure<br />
as First Citizen to ensuring a corruption-free<br />
administration, job creation<br />
and service delivery, stating that the establishment<br />
of an effective, efficient and<br />
highly skilled administration would be a<br />
top priority under his leadership.<br />
Unresolved disciplinary cases against<br />
staff would be finalised as a matter of<br />
priority: “Let me state categorically that<br />
those officials who do not hold the prerequisite<br />
qualifications for the job they<br />
Mayor Trollip pledged to ensure that<br />
each and every official would be treated<br />
fairly and with respect, with no political<br />
interference in the professional work<br />
space. “In return, I will expect the highest<br />
standard of professionalism and dedication<br />
from each and every official.<br />
Corruption is the enemy of freedom and<br />
fairness and the thief of opportunity.<br />
There will be no more erosion of municipal<br />
resources due to corruption procurement<br />
practices. There will be no more<br />
wasting of our resources on the glitz<br />
and glamour of irrelevant public events,<br />
flashy cars and wasteful expenditure on<br />
cadre deployment.“<br />
An emotional Mayor Trollip concluded<br />
his address as follows: “I will not let you<br />
down as the Mayor of Nelson Mandela<br />
<strong>Bay</strong>.”<br />
*<br />
It is expected that the new Mayoral<br />
Committee will be constituted by next<br />
Thursday at a special Council meeting.<br />
The Feather Market Centre Auditorium was packed to capacity<br />
Present also were the national leader<br />
of the opposition, Mmusi Maimane,<br />
the Executive Mayor of the City of Cape<br />
Town, Patricia De Lille, and EFF national<br />
Chairman, Adv. Dali Mpofu, members of<br />
Parliament and provincial legislatures,<br />
Councillors and key local stakeholders,<br />
the administrative leadership of Nelson<br />
Mandela <strong>Bay</strong> and ordinary residents.<br />
The six new EFF Councillors lent extra vibrancy<br />
to the proceedings in their signature<br />
red overalls.<br />
are in or who were appointed irregularly<br />
will have their appointment carefully<br />
scrutinised and if found to have been<br />
appointed outside the ambit of the law,<br />
will have such appointments terminated.<br />
Any official or public representative<br />
found to be operating outside the rule of<br />
law will be charged and will have to account<br />
for their actions or derelictions in<br />
the relevant courts of law or within the<br />
municipal disciplinary structures.”<br />
New Executive Mayor Trollip (standing) and<br />
Deputy Executive Mayor Bobani<br />
Focus On: Executive Secretaries - Pg 2
Focus on:<br />
Executive Secretaries<br />
Women’s Month theme: Working Together<br />
to enhance Women’s Opportunities<br />
to Economic Empowerment.<br />
This Women’s Month, we wanted to give<br />
praise to the unsung heroines of the Municipality:<br />
Personal Assistants/Executive<br />
Secretaries to our Executive Directors,<br />
who are vigilantly at work to ensure that<br />
all affairs of their Directorates are in systematic<br />
order and that their Executive<br />
Directors shine at all times. In coming<br />
editions, our Secretaries will share their<br />
views on topics related to the empowerment<br />
and development of women in the<br />
workplace.<br />
Name: Teresa Wiegand<br />
Directorate: Public Health<br />
Executive Director: Andile Tolom<br />
Length of service: 22 years<br />
What is one of your foremost highlights<br />
serving the Directorate?<br />
“To me, it’s how one grows in the position.<br />
What I appreciate about all the<br />
Executive Directors that I have served is<br />
that they don’t treat you like a Secretary;<br />
they treat you as part of the team. I’ve<br />
been very blessed. I enjoy my job and<br />
never got to a point where I feel unhappy<br />
in my job.”<br />
What is the significance of Women’s<br />
Month to you?<br />
“Men were traditionally the head of the<br />
household and women were not recognized;<br />
sadly, in many countries, women<br />
are still not recognised. There is hope<br />
through Women’s Month that we are<br />
getting there. You can see it by leaders<br />
such as Hilary Clinton and Helen Zille.<br />
We are getting to the top and being acknowledged,<br />
which makes me feel good<br />
that women are taking their place in society.”<br />
What talents/skills do women bring to<br />
the workplace?<br />
“Women by nature are more nurturing<br />
and empathetic. I think that is very<br />
important in the modern working environment,<br />
because we all tend to be extremely<br />
stressed. Women these days,<br />
especially those in leadership, remember<br />
that balance is important, between<br />
being a mother, wife and a worker. <strong>For</strong>merly,<br />
women were too scared to take<br />
positions of power because of their responsibilities<br />
at home.”<br />
A comment for Teresa’s boss, Andile Tolom:<br />
“I will trace back to apartheid times,<br />
where black people were heavily oppressed.<br />
However, there was one common<br />
factor with regards to every race.<br />
All the women were oppressed, irrespective<br />
of race. So I believe they need to<br />
be emancipated. In <strong>19</strong>56, women of all<br />
races marched to the Union Buildings to<br />
submit their petition against pass laws.<br />
Now we are seeing that the constitutional<br />
democracy has given everyone<br />
an opportunity to be emancipated. Now<br />
we have women like Maria Ramos, who<br />
is the CEO of ABSA and there are other<br />
women in Africa who are leading. Even<br />
in the Municipality, we are very glad to<br />
see women have exceeded that glass<br />
ceiling.”<br />
Name: Siphokazi Lobishe<br />
Directorate: Safety & Security<br />
Executive Director: Linda Mti<br />
Length of service: 8 years<br />
What is one of your foremost highlights<br />
serving the Directorate?<br />
“My biggest highlight is taking minutes<br />
at high-profile meetings. Recently I went<br />
along to take minutes for a meeting with<br />
the Acting City Manager. Most of us have<br />
never met him in person; we only see him<br />
in the newspapers. It was an awesome<br />
experience for us at the bottom when we<br />
get to meet a high-profile official. I saw<br />
such a humble person when I met him.”<br />
What is the significance of Women’s<br />
Month to you?<br />
“We are recognising the role that was<br />
played by the brave women of <strong>19</strong>56. <strong>For</strong><br />
them it was about the pass laws, but it’s<br />
broader than that. They paved a way for<br />
us today to be able to stand up on our<br />
own. Today you see there are women in<br />
construction and engineering, traditionally<br />
male dominated areas. It should be a<br />
point of the Government and private sector<br />
to make the environment conducive<br />
to the economic development of women.<br />
Women, young and old, need to identify<br />
those opportunities and grab them.”<br />
Need filler...
Ladies of Metro Police and SAPS<br />
‘Doing Their Thing’ for Women’s Month<br />
On 12 <strong>August</strong> <strong>2016</strong>, mainly female officers<br />
of the Provincial Traffic Service, the<br />
NMBM Metro Police and Traffic Service<br />
and Immigration celebrated Women’s<br />
Month in their unique style: they conducted<br />
two road block on the N2 and in<br />
the Central Business District, and a foot<br />
patrol at <strong>Bay</strong> West Mall.<br />
The joint operation, named “Operation<br />
Basadi” (Operation Women), included<br />
the issuing of warrants of arrests, searching<br />
for stolen engines, roadworthiness of<br />
vehicles, and checking licence discs and<br />
driver’s licences.<br />
Your safety is our concern: NMBM Metro Police Officer Pam Buwa interacting with residents<br />
The objective was to ensure that all road<br />
users and vehicles were licensed, and<br />
that residents could move freely within<br />
the CBD and feel safe in shopping malls.<br />
Spot fines were issued for offences. The<br />
operation was carried out in a precise<br />
and controlled manner, with officers being<br />
polite, courteous and professional to<br />
the public, which gained the support and<br />
cooperation of the road users.<br />
Senior Provincial Traffic Officer, Kashifa<br />
Rajaal, said, “The intention of this operation<br />
is to keep the road users of Nelson<br />
Mandela <strong>Bay</strong> safe and to enforce traffic<br />
laws.”<br />
Municipal “Style Diva” Parade<br />
This week, we bring you our first nominations<br />
for the municipal Style Diva Parade,<br />
to honour our own home-grown<br />
fashionistas during this special month<br />
of women. Our ladies, nominated by<br />
you this week, are: Candice George (Receptionist<br />
Clerk: Architects Office) and<br />
Charme Van Hall (Budget Clerk: Human<br />
Settlements). We asked them about their<br />
sense of fashion and the significance of<br />
Women’s Month to them.<br />
How would you describe your style?<br />
CG: “I always go with what suits me best.<br />
Mine is most probably colourful. I mix colourful<br />
with traditional. <strong>For</strong> work I dress<br />
formally, but after work I dress smart<br />
casual. And you won’t catch me without<br />
my heels!”<br />
CVH: “I consider myself a modern dresser.<br />
I like following the latest fashion<br />
trends. I also like my jeans and T-shirts,<br />
but when I’m in the office, I like to keep it<br />
smart, prim and proper. I love the colour<br />
red.”<br />
What is your best feature?<br />
CG: “Without sounding shallow, I would<br />
most probably say my hair and my smile.”<br />
Candice George<br />
CVH: “I would have to say my smile.”<br />
What is the significance of Women’s<br />
Month to you?<br />
Charme Van Hall<br />
CG: “It shouldn’t be something that is<br />
recognised in one month, it should be an<br />
everyday thing. Women play a big role<br />
in every part of society. I’m the only female<br />
in my office among eight male colleagues.<br />
I feel women are the best supporters,<br />
who stand behind everyone and<br />
push them towards their best.”<br />
CVH: “I feel it is a very important month,<br />
because most recognition goes to the<br />
men in most cases. It’s good that we<br />
have a month like this, where we are recognised<br />
for our hard work and contribution<br />
to society.”
Women in a Man’s World<br />
and democratic country and women are<br />
allowed to work in any industry.<br />
Kayakazi: It’s exciting and empowering.<br />
I don’t feel different, to me it’s a normal<br />
job, because am doing what I love doing.<br />
Most importantly, my male and female<br />
colleagues are very accommodating and<br />
we have a nice working relationship.<br />
What are some of the challenges you<br />
face at work?<br />
Thozama: I think there are some men who<br />
have not fully accepted today’s changes<br />
and the fact that we are all equal, saying<br />
that they will not be pushed around by a<br />
woman.<br />
Celebrating Women’s Month this week,<br />
we feature municipal women employees<br />
who are doing work in a predominantly<br />
male dominated environment. We chatted<br />
with Thozama Cikizwa (far right)<br />
and Kayakazi Nkangeni (left), who work<br />
as Horticulturists at the Hillside Depot<br />
in the Parks Department of the Nelson<br />
Mandela <strong>Bay</strong> Municipality.<br />
How does it feel to work in a so-called<br />
male dominated industry?<br />
Thozama: It’s a very good feeling, because<br />
in the olden days, women were not<br />
allowed to work in the mines nor drive a<br />
car and so on, but today we are in a free<br />
What are some of the rewards and<br />
what did you learn from your male colleagues?<br />
Kayakazi: They make you feel comfortable<br />
and are easy going, as much as they<br />
sometimes don’t want to open up. I have<br />
learned a lot of things from them that<br />
assist me in my career.<br />
In this day and age, why is female equality<br />
important in the work-place?<br />
Thozama: Women are contributing to<br />
the economy of this country and they<br />
need to be given a chance and be respected<br />
by male colleagues.<br />
Kayakazi: Females fought against oppression<br />
and male domination in the<br />
work-place. We deserve to be where we<br />
are as women.<br />
What message of encouragement or<br />
advice would you give to young women<br />
who want to be in the type of industry<br />
that you are in?<br />
Thozama: To those young females who<br />
aspire to be where we are, I say that<br />
through hard work and dedication, one<br />
can achieve great things in life.<br />
Kayakazi: I would like to say to those<br />
young women that nothing is impossible.<br />
If you love what you are doing, you<br />
will achieve success. However, they need<br />
to empower themselves and acquire the<br />
necessary skills to achieve the goals they<br />
have set for themselves in this particular<br />
industry.<br />
Need filler...
Telephone Etiquette<br />
Presenting a professional image over the<br />
telephone is very important in any local<br />
government office and is ussually the first<br />
interface between the office and residents.<br />
The following phone tips should always<br />
be followed.<br />
1. Always answer your calls within<br />
3-5 rings. Never ever leave<br />
a ringing phone unattended.<br />
2. If you are a receptionist or secretary to<br />
a senior manager, always transfer your<br />
calls to another support staff member<br />
when stepping away from the desk.<br />
3. When answering calls, speak clearly.<br />
A picture paints a thousand<br />
words, but the caller on the other<br />
end of the phone can only hear you.<br />
4. Use your normal tone of voice when<br />
answering a call.<br />
5. Do not eat or drink while<br />
you are on telephone duty.<br />
6. Do not use slang words or poor<br />
language. Respond clearly with<br />
“yes” or “no” when speaking.<br />
7. Listen to callers and what they have<br />
to say. It is always a good habit to<br />
repeat the information back to the<br />
caller when you are taking a message.<br />
Verify that you have heard and<br />
transcribed the message accurately.<br />
8. Be clear about a way forward to help<br />
if you cannot help immediately: ‘’I will<br />
check with Mr. X and then come back<br />
to confirm the appointment with you<br />
before four o-clock today.” But also<br />
never make a promise about coming<br />
back with info if you suspect or know<br />
that you will not be able to honour this.<br />
9. Be patient and helpful. If callers are<br />
irate or upset, listen to what they<br />
have to say and then refer them<br />
to the appropriate resource. Never<br />
snap back or act rude to a caller.<br />
10. Always ask before you put a caller on<br />
hold. If you are responsible for answering<br />
multiple calls at once, always<br />
ask the caller politely if you may put<br />
him or her on hold. Remember that<br />
the caller could have already waited<br />
several minutes before getting connected<br />
to you, or may have already<br />
been referred fruitlessly to a number<br />
of offices before reaching you,<br />
so may not take lightly to being put<br />
on hold. Never leave callers on hold<br />
for more than a few seconds or they<br />
may become upset and hang up.<br />
11. Always focus on the call. Try not to get<br />
distracted by people around you. If<br />
someone tries to interrupt you while<br />
you are on a call, politely say that you<br />
are on a call and that you will be with<br />
them as soon as you are finished.<br />
Wordsmith<br />
We conclude our series on South African abbreviations. Again, first try to see if you know what the abbreviations<br />
stand for!