PRETORIA – THURSDAY, 8TH DECEMBER, 2016 – THE High Commission of Zambia in South Africa last night held its inaugural awards presentation ceremony during which awards were presented to Zambians resident in South Africa who have excelled in their work. The High Commission also honoured locally engaged employees who have been outstanding in discharging their duties.
The ceremony was held at the High Commission in Pretoria on 7th December, 2016 during dinner hosted in honour of President Edgar Lungu who is South Africa for a three day State Visit. The President met close to 400 Zambians resident in South Africa at the dinner.
The winners went away with a certificate and R5, 000 each. The awards, dubbed ‘High Commissioner’s Award’, were presented by Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Mwamba.
Those who were awarded are: Dr. Pule M Mutati, who is the head of clinical and intervention Cardiology at Sefako Makhato University of Medical Sciences responsible for clinical patient evaluation and cardiac management. He is the manager and practical overseer of all cardiac interventions referred from four provinces in South Africa.
-He is Senior lecturer in the Departments of Cardiology and Internal Medicine.
-He is a visiting lecturer for Post graduate Students, Department of Dermatology at University of Pretoria, Medical faculty.
-He does part time specialist private practice at Medforum Mediclinic hospital, Pretoria Mediclinic Heart hospital and Zuid Afrikaans hospital.
-He has been involved in research where he has been Principal investigator in international and local cardiac research.
-He is Director at Rasslouw Private hospital development/Netcare group of hospitals.
Mr. Kelly Kalumba
A Zambian architect based in South Africa. He is a renowned professional whose fame resulting from some landmark architectural works, goes beyond the borders of the continent.
He has, since 2003, been Senior Partner at Louis Karol Architects in charge of the Johannesburg office and taking care of projects on the continent, including the re-development of Society House on Lusaka’s Cairo road.
He has been a project architect for well-known structures such as the V and A Waterfront Shopping Mall in Cape Town; the 2010 World Cup Stadium in Cape Town; Gautrain train stations (Midrand, Centurion and Pretoria), and Nkwashi Mixed Youth Development on Leopards Hill road in Lusaka where 10, 000 houses, a university, international boarding school, retail and office park are being constructed.
Others include Essex College in the United Kingdom; Crown Street up-market residential apartments in Glasgow, Scotland; extension to the Birmingham International Airport; Seacon up-market residential apartments on the River Thames in London; Eco Towers (office development) in Accra, Ghana; Intercontinental Hotel at OR Tambo International Airport; Jabi Lake Mixed Youth Development (offices and hotel with residential complex) in Abuja, Nigeria, and Onomo Hotel in Free Town, Sierra Leone.
He was in November this year voted as one of the best architects in South Africa when he emerged 2016 second best architect in South Africa after being conferred with the honour by the South African Professional Services Awards (SAPSA). This was out of the initial 2, 500 nominees that were picked.
Mr. Ferdinand Simaanya
He has exhibited great passion for the work he does in ZASA. It is difficult to believe that the work he has continued doing is pro-bono. Under his watch as president of ZASA, the data base of Zambians living in South Africa has grown from a paltry 256 in 2014 when he took over, to 5, 346.
Under his reign, ZASA has expanded to almost the entire country with 25 branches formed over the last one year.
ZASA works closely with the Mission in extending welfare care to needy Zambians in times of bereavement, destitution, repatriation, illness and various other emergency situations.
It is now apparent that without a ZASA that was as vibrant as the current one, a lot of Zambians in South Africa would have been subjected to worse off suffering.
Patricia Muyamwa, Charles Kalima and Mande Kauseni – CERTIFICATE PLUS R5, 000.00 CASH SPLIT AMONG THEM
These three have shown exemplary dedication to the work of the Zambia-South Africa Business Forum from the time the idea was mooted in September last year.
The three have been critical pillars in bringing about the successes that the business forum has managed to achieve. They have sat through late night planning meetings just to ensure that events organised by the business forum go smoothly.
LOCALLY ENGAGED STAFF:
Sibongile Nelly Skhosana
This recipient has served the High Commission for 21 years, having joined on 24th February 1995 when she worked from the Residence of the first High Commissioner, the Late Mr. Jack Kabinga (MHSRIP).
She literally single-handedly did all house chores.
When the second High Commissioner Lt-Col. Bizwayo Nkunika, came in 1998, he did not take long to spot the excellence and dedication to duty in this employee and transferred her here at the Chancery as a Receptionist in January 2000.
She took interest and acquired knowledge of how all departments in the Mission operated and has now grown to becoming a strong link between the High Commission and other Ministries in South Africa, a feat that has made her into being the most dependable locally engaged member of staff.
She is usually the first one to arrive at the office and last to leave.
She is currently Personal Assistant to the Deputy High Commissioner.
Thomas Sethole
He was hired by the High Commission as Office Assistant on 16th March, 2007.
He is one that is quickly earning himself the title of ‘Zambian Immigration encyclopedia’ because of his vast knowledge of the Zambian immigration laws.
He has, right on his fingertips, all the information pertaining to procedures for application for passports, travel documents, and other immigration related documents.
He has also distinguished himself as an alert employee who, on a number of occasions, has helped thwart thefts by dangerous criminals coming after clients’ vehicles parked on the premises of the High Commission.
James Mtsweni
He is one of our longest serving locally engaged employees, having joined the Mission on 1st July, 1996, that is 20 years ago.
On the evening of 20th November this year, he risked his life when he showed some rare bravery by speeding off as a horde of gun-wielding robbers attempted to get a Mission vehicle from him. The criminals had just ambushed a group of Zambian Government officials who had just arrived at their hotel to check in, beat them and robbed them of all their valuables.
Joseph Mabunda
This recipient works for a security firm that the Mission has hired. Just before midnight, on August 15 this year, this award recipient was approached by two unknown men claiming to be Zambian who demanded that he gives them the address for the Residence of the Zambian High Commissioner. The two men had come out of a vehicle which was left concealed at a distance in the darkness of the night. What they didn’t realise was that our recipient had seen the vehicle arrive and the two men alight leaving behind their colleagues. Even on being threatened and verbally abused, this nominee stood his ground and refused to give the information they required until they gave up and left.
