East London harbour master celebrated

Throughout September 2020, port landlord Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) commemorated its 20th year of existence and the strides made since its first group of marine trainees of colour, including females, began their maritime careers two decades ago.

Among those celebrated was Captain Kgadi Matlala, Harbour Master at the Port of East London. She achieved this goal through hard work and determination, with the support of mentors, who were willing to share their knowledge and skills and gave selflessly of their time.

Limpopo-born Matlala joined TNPA’s Port of Port Elizabeth in 2007, where she worked as a trainee tug master, tug master, marine pilot and later, served as Deputy Harbour Master, before taking up her current role.

“In my time, I have had a lot of mentors and learned from a lot of people in the maritime field. The first was Desmond Basson, Marine Technical Manager in the Port of Port Elizabeth. He was a tug master at the time and taught me everything about port operations especially the admin side. Most of us mariners don’t enjoy paperwork much, but he was one person who really set me up for success,” Captain Matlala said.

“Another was Captain Brynn Adamson, Harbour Master at the Port of Port Elizabeth, who I worked with for eight years. I had the privilege of working with him as a Deputy Harbour Master. He taught me a lot about leadership, how to create a conducive environment for people and the importance of seeing the whole team win. He played a crucial role in my training and in shaping the person I am today as a Harbour Master.”

Another important role model and source of inspiration was, Xoliswa Bekiswa, Marine Operations Manager in the Port of Ngqura, one of the first Black women in this role, under whom Captain Matlala worked as both a tug master and marine pilot during her time at the Port of Port Elizabeth.

“I don’t think one can ever really understand the hard work and challenges that the first person goes through. For me, she paved the way. I remember when I started as a pilot and was focusing only on jobs that were required for my next licence, she would always encourage me to do more. I think I obtained my open licence quicker thanks to her motivation and encouragement.”

The support she received throughout her own journey, has fuelled Captain Matlala’s passion for helping younger employees thrive in the space. Her advice to youth looking to join the industry is: “Find a mentor, work hard and have fun! I started as a cadet – somebody like me from Limpopo, who had never been to the sea before or even seen the ocean, is now working in the port system. The same opportunities that I had are available to the youth of today.”

Port’s central role for Class of 99

The Port of East London was critical in the development of many of the ‘Class of 1999’, as TNPA’s first group of transformed marine trainees came to be known. Two decades ago, the 12 candidates were selected for an accelerated training programme in Rotterdam aimed at bringing in a new generation of marine pilots, managers and other marine professionals into an industry which at the time was reluctant to change.

Among them was Captain Rufus Lekala, who began his working life as a taxi driver and has ascended to become Chief Harbour Master at TNPA over the past two decades. At that time, he was a trainee marine pilot in the Port of East London. The Harbour Master had assured then Transnet Transformation Manager, Commander Tsietsi Mokhele, that he was doing very well and was competent but, for some strange reason, apparently in response to the resistance of the reluctant port’s serving marine pilots, had not granted him his licence.

The marine pilots in the port, who did not want to accept the new generation of marine pilots, did not turn up for duty. Commander Mokhele viewed this as a deliberate measure to play leverage and undermine the system. Ships were waiting for service and the crew was nowhere to be seen.

“I insisted that the Port Captain issue Captain Lekala his marine pilot open licence that very night so that he could keep the port open and handle ships awaiting service that night. And so it was that Captain Lekala got his licence and brought the vessel in at the Port of East London. But the story does not end there. The pilots in the Port of Port Elizabeth were also on undeclared strike, so once Captain Lekala was back on the ground, on learning about the shortage of marine pilots in Port Elizabeth, he jumped in his car and drove through the night to assist in Port Elizabeth.

“On arrival in the morning, without any rest, he got straight to work and navigated an awaiting ship into port. Lo and behold, the ship that he ended up on was the same that he had sailed out of East London the night earlier. The Captain of the vessel must have thought he was seeing a ghost!” recalled Commander Mokhele.

The Port of East London was also home to TNPA’s first female Harbour Master, Captain Nontsindiso Tshazi, who was appointed in April 2007 to take over from Captain Dennis Mqadi.

TNPA’s celebratory programme coincided with the country’s Heritage Month and the global commemoration of World Maritime Day on 24 September, under the theme “Sustainable shipping for a sustainable planet”.

During its virtual Maritime Heritage Celebration event in September, TNPA unveiled its Maritime Transformation Legacy coffee table book and documentary, showcasing the stories of the pioneers who transformed its marine operations environment and created a proud legacy for the organisation and country. They also paved the way for a new generation of marine pilots, specialists in port control and aids to navigation, as well as harbour masters, who today include historically disadvantaged individuals.

To view TNPA’s Maritime Transformation Legacy coffee table book, visit: http://ow.ly/eTHq50BwXXJ

To view TNPA’s Maritime Transformation Legacy documentary, visit: https://youtu.be/xDI0tLr4o_0

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