City honours unsung professionals behind Cape Town’s growth and sustainability
03 March 2026
Last week, the City of Cape Town hosted a special recognition ceremony to honour long-serving and retired officials from the Spatial Planning and Environment Directorate. These dedicated public servants, whose careers began during some of South Africa’s most challenging years, were celebrated for their decades of service and lasting impact. Even during the early years after the country’s first post-1994 elections, while communities faced immense challenges, the City continued to plan, consolidate departments, and lay the groundwork for a more inclusive future by establishing foundations for equitable development, stronger spatial planning and more environmentally sustainable growth.
At the Spatial Planning and Environment Long Service recognition ceremony held at the Cape Town Civic Centre on 25 February 2026, several long-serving officials shared their inspiring journeys of transformation, service and dedication.
‘When I joined the City, people of colour could not start their careers in certain designated administrative roles. I started as a messenger, carrying paper trails before emails existed. I worked with handwritten letters and documents were typed in triplicate in the typing pool and more. That role became my foundation. I learned how the institution worked from the ground up. The apartheid years were difficult for our communities, but the City began positioning itself for change. In the 1990s, departments were amalgamated, forward planning strengthened and new pathways opened. My journey from messenger to manager-level leadership today shows that transformation is not just something we speak about. It is something we live,’ said André Maxwell, from Strandfontein, who has been with the City for over 30 years and is currently Manager: Support Services for this Directorate.
Maxwell’s journey, from messenger to Manager: Support Services, demonstrates how transformation is not just a concept, but a lived experience, something that the City began embracing as early as the 1990s.
Paul Arends's career trajectory also mirrors this theme of transformation and opportunity. Starting as a 23-year-old labourer at Athlone Power Station in 1995, Arends moved into the Environmental Management Department in 2006, where he capitalised on learnerships and on-the-job training to evolve into a facility manager.
‘I grew into my purpose and I am now doing the facility management of, for example, the Smart Living Education Centre (SLEC) and the Dome Education Centre in Green Point. SLEC is a space that has transformed from a modest old Scouts Hall in 2010 into a thriving education space for all to enjoy. My journey taught me to never limit yourself, keep learning, seek opportunities and serve with pride. My work at the City is my happy place because every day, I help create something meaningful for our communities,’ said Arends who is today the facility manager for SLEC and The Dome including the Experiential Education Garden elements in Green Point Park.
Similarly, Sandra Hustwick, recognised for her 35 years of service, emphasised the broader vision that guided her work in the City’s Environmental Management and Urban Conservation Unit.
‘Planning is never just about paperwork. It is about people, place and legacy. From reclaiming 29 conservation areas in the Urban Conservation Unit to working in Environmental Management, my guiding principle has always been to serve the public interest without fear or favour. To protect the environment. Preserve our trees, heritage and biodiversity. Not just for today, but for generations to come. The Constitution and the City’s Spatial Plans are our moral compass and principled public service is essential to safeguard our city for the common good,’ said Hustwick, from Camps Bay and is currently a Principal Professional Officer in the City’s Environmental Management Department.
A total of 60 staff members were honoured, including 14 retirees, for their dedicated service ranging from 20 to over 40 years with the City of Cape Town. Among those celebrated for 40 years of unwavering commitment were Development Management’s Mario Horn and Kevin McGilton, who continue to serve the City today.
‘Cities are not built in moments of applause or headlines. Cities are built in offices, on sites, in meetings and through decisions made carefully, ethically, and often under pressure. They are built through institutional memory, professional integrity and a deep sense of public duty. The contribution of those we recognise at the recent awards is measured not only in years, but in impact. They have shaped neighbourhoods, guided development, protected our environment, strengthened our systems and mentored the next generation of professionals,’ concluded Alderman Eddie Andrews, the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment.
Caption 1: Spatial Planning and Environment Directorate Executive Director, Robert McGaffin, Professional Planner Sandra Hustwick and Alderman Eddie Andrews
Caption 2: Group photo of some of the 25 years of service recognition certificates
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
