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40 plus years at the City; stories of resilience, tragedy and growth

The City of Cape Town's annual Urban Mobility Awards seek to recognise and reward outstanding performance and achievements. Long Service Awards were also presented to staff members with 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years of service.One of the Long Service award recipients was Michael Ohlsson who joined the City in 1983 at the age of 19 whilst looking for a job to support his mother and siblings in Lavender Hill. <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/Cornell%20Adams.jpeg" class="responsive" alt="" style="width:1782px;" /> </figure>'I have done the hard physical road labour, monitored road reserves, managed people, ran the materials library, completed my matric via the City's education programmes and today I am a Principal Technical Assistant. The City has been very supportive in terms of my personal development, but a highlight I will never forget is the support I was given when my family and I lost our 9-year-old son, Matthew, in Mitchells Plain in 1997. We are still looking for my son to this day,' said Ohlsson, who has since penned an award-winning 'The Matthew Ohlson Story' book with his wife, Michelle.Also in attendance at the Urban Mobility Awards were the City Manager, Lungelo Mbandazayo, the Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas, the directorate's Executive Director Dalene Campbell, the Chairperson of the Urban Mobility Portfolio Committee, Councillour Mikhail Manuel, and heads of departments and staff from the various branches. <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/Group%20photo.jpeg" class="responsive" alt="" style="width:800px;" /> </figure>The longest serving Urban Mobility staff members in attendance were Cornell Adams and Stanley Arendse who both joined the City in 1976. Igshaan Fataar was awarded his 45-year long service award in abstentia.'You have laid the foundation, the City is getting all the accolades because of you. The City would not have been where it is today without you. I want to thank you for all the years you have dedicated to serving the residents of Cape Town. You have accumulated a wealth of experience that no one can take away from you. Thank you for everything,' said the City Manager, Lungelo Mbandazayo.'Urban Mobility is the cardio-vascular system of the City of Cape Town. I have been often overwhelmed to see people on the ground doing really hard work in the midst of stormy weather and other difficult circumstances. I have even witnessed people working and toiling in unbelievably hot conditions, laying hot asphalt. Your work remains and is evident all around the city. I am grateful to see many of you being recognised in this way,' added Councillor Rob Quintas. <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/Stanley%20Arendse.jpeg" class="responsive" alt="" style="width:1778px;" /> </figure>The Awards Ceremony took place on Tuesday, 23 April 2024. Staff celebrated their achievements, had lunch together and reminisced on their times with the City whilst motivating the younger ones to stay focussed.'I could write a book about my time at the City. I have seen everything, but I want this new generation to learn to be resilient and malleable, avoid saying 'this is not my job' when being asked to go the extra mile. Take on as much as you can, do not stick to one thing only if you want to grow in this organisation,' concluded Cornell Adams who retired to his Mamre home last year, having served the City for 45 years. End

2024-04-24T22:00:00Z

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