Transnet Chief Harbour Master Captain Rufus Lekala says the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has made transformation its priority as the organisation celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Lekala was appointed as the country’s first black Chief Harbour Master in 2011.
“We are celebrating 20 years of existence of the TNPA, that is part of Transnet the 20 years of existence of this organisation. We managed to do transformation in the organisation, it was previously 100% white only in 1999 when we came in, as I speak with you now we are almost sitting at 99% people of colour – so we have managed to reverse the legacy of the apartheid into now representing total population of South Africa,” says Lekala.
He says gender transformation has also seen a success with women now occupying half of the positions at TNPA.
Lekala says, “When coming to the human capital, I am proud to say to you more than 50% of our workforce is women. When we started in 1999 we had only one woman, now as I’m speaking we have more than 50% of our workforce in terms of the maritime department is all women. Those are the successes if I can say also internationally we are recognised if we speak we are part of the Harbour Masters Association and they take South Africa very seriously, when we speak we are also trend setters from technology.”
TNPA says plans to expand the Durban Harbour are on track
