Nyandeni Local Municipality mayor, Viwe Ndamase, bestowed certificates of appreciation on seven retired former employees during a farewell ceremony in honour of their unbroken service to the local municipality, held on September 14.

The retired employees are:

. Mzikayise Nonkwelo, employed as a lowbed operator for 10 years;

. Nopumzile Silwana, employed as general assistant in waste removal for 27 years;

. Zoleka Mdoda, employed as a general assistant in waste removal for 15 years;

. Nelson Magade, employed as a messenger driver for 14 years;

. Patuxolo Matola, employed as a security supervisor for 27 years;

. Solanga Manjawe, employed as a commander for 20 years;

. Mbulelo Matomane, employed as an excavator operator for 17 years.

Retiree Mdoda (64) said she enjoyed her time working for the municipality, which is also her place of birth.

“I am proud to have worked for the municipality for the past 15 years, and nothing was more satisfying to me than serving an institution that is also my birthplace,” she said.

Mdoda hails from Mchonco Village in Ngqeleni, under Ward 30 of the local municipality.

She added that working under harsh weather conditions, such as extremely hot temperatures and heavy rains, as well as being undermined and considered an illiterate because she worked as a waste picker, were some of the challenges of her job but added that this never deterred her.

Mdoda said that she was yet to decide on what to do now that she has retired, but said she was enjoying spending time in her garden and helping in her community in whatever way she can.

She officially retired from the municipality in October last year.

Another retiree, Solanga Manjawe (65), who also hails from Mchonco Village and spent 20 years at the municipality in various positions, rising through the ranks to a commander under public safety, has set his sights on spending his retirement life helping reduce youth unemployment in his village.

“Now that I am retired and get to attend gatherings in my community, I have noticed a high number of youths who are unemployed and my plan, working with the ward councillor, is to come up with programmes that will dent the high youth unemployment in my community and the ward,” said Manjawe.

He further plans to venture into farming, where he hopes to employ the youth as he says agriculture in his passion.

Manjawe started working for the municipality as a security officer; then spent five years as a driver in the water services department.

He retired from the municipality last month.