City of Ekurhuleni’s city manager, Dr Imogen Mashazi, conferred service excellence awards last night to outstanding women working in the Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) and Ekurhuleni Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
The women were honoured at a glitzy gala dinner held at the Alberton Civic Centre in Alberton, Ekurhuleni.
Mashazi, herself a former nursing sister in Brakpan and Chief Operations Officer of EMS, said the objective of the City Manager’s Women in Uniform in Community Safety Legacy Project was to support and empower female employees at the EMPD and DEMS.
“When I introduced this concept in 2017 I made it clear that my intention was to see female employees at EMPD and DEMS prosper academically and career-wise. I did this because I understand that your field of work is male dominated and despite you doing the same work with your male counterparts, you still have to double your efforts to be recognized,” said Mashazi.
“Gone are the days when women have to experience gender discrimination in society. Together we must prove that we are equal to our male counterparts one way or the other.”
To celebrate National Women’s Month in Ekurhuleni, Mashazi kicked off her Thursday by joining dozens of traffic officers on the road around 5am in Ekurhuleni, issuing traffic fines and arresting motorists who committed various infringements and offences on the city’s roads.
After the blitz, Mashazi, accompanied by female metro police officers and DEMS officials, visited the Siyazigabisa Home of Hope in Tembisa, where she donated mattresses for children.
She then proceeded to the Alberton Civic Centre, where she handed awards to outstanding female traffic officers and emergency management services staff.
Among those who were honoured included Phumzile Nkosi, who walked away with the Team Leader of the Year Awards.
Pamela Buthelezi received the City Manager’s Award while Germinah Bopape was declared Overall Winner of the City Manager’s Awards.
Mashazi said her dream was to empower more women in Ekurhuleni, particularly in the DEMS and EMS field, traditionally dominated by males, black, Indian or white.
She said the City of Ekurhuleni has moved swiftly to meet the national target of 50% women representation in senior positions, both politically and administratively.
“I made an undertaking to have more female HODs in the City, and indeed the Council has duly obliged and good progress has been recorded in this area, with at least four out of the last six latest HOD appointments being female. At the current moment nine of the 23 HODs are female – making this 45%,” she said.
“I have also witnessed great progress in promotions in the EMPD with a number of women occupying senior positions such as deputy director (3), chief superintendent (5) and superintendents (15). In the previous financial year alone one female officer was appointed a director, another was promoted to deputy director, six were promoted to superintendents, and five new inspectors were appointed – taking the total number of inspectors to 24. This is over and above the 11 new appointments made by the department.”
The awards presentation ceremony was rounded off with entertainment and a two-course buffet dinner of beef stew, grilled chicken, vegetables, desserts and a classical South African wine collection.
– By Charles Molele
