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Awards for excellence were handed out to delighted tractor drivers, chainsaw operators, brush cutters and other City Parks employees.
Robert Tshishonge, a driver at Parks Rangers depot in Florida, never expected to win first prize in his category in the 2011 Driver/Machine Operator of the Year awards held by City Parks.
City Parks acting MD Geoffrey Cooke
“I had no idea that I was going to win this kind of money,” said Tshishonge “The prize is going to motivate me and other workers at my depot to work even harder.”
Not believing his luck, Tshishonge hugged City Parks officials in delight who handed over prizes to winners at the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens in Emmarentia on 5 August.
Tshishonge, who has been never been involved in any car accident or received a ticket from Metro officials, said he will use the money to finish building his house in Venda.
“I am just left with completing the roof of my house and I will use the remaining amount to pay my children‘s school fees,” said Tshishonge.
Tshishonge explained the secret of his success: “I enjoy my job and that’s probably the trick of it,” he said.
The awards ceremony, organised annually by City Parks, is now in its fourth year.
Robert Tshishonge: winner of the light vehicle driver award
Those who won second and third place were given R5 000 and R3 000 respectively and were presented with caps of honour.
Each category had five or four finalists. The finalists were nominated for the awards by their regional managers from each region in the city.
City Parks acting managing director, Geoffrey Cooke, said the award ceremony was a chance for the company to show their appreciation of their workers.
“Without you, City Parks will not be where it is today,” said Cooke.
He urged workers to look after the interests of the company. “We hope to see the organisation grow in strength,” said Cooke.
On the same day, City Parks workers who excelled in the MD’s Achievers Awards were rewarded for hard work. The workers received certificates, caps of honour and a R1 000 shopping voucher.
Zibuse Muramba receives his prize from acting MD Geoffrey Cooke
Winners
Visibly excited, Gezani Shingange, who scooped R7 000 in the chain saw category, explained how he won the prize.
“I kept my chainsaw clean always and never broke it,” Shingange explained. He plans to save the money for his family.
Zibuse Muramba, a machine operator based at Zoo Lake who won second prize in the ride-on-mower category, vowed to work hard.
“I feel like a millionaire today,” said Muramba. “This time I want to improve my standards and win the first prize next year.”
He plans to use the money to finish building his house in Eastern Cape.
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