Page 32 - Maritime Book 1

CAPTAIN RUFUS LEKALA
FROM TAXI DRIVER TO CHIEF HARBOUR MASTER
A key gure in TNPA’s maritime transformation journey has been and remains Chief Harbour Master, Captain Rufus Lekala, whose personal journey took him from being a taxi driver in Limpopo at the age of 24 in 1995, right through the ranks to become South Africa’s rst Black Chief Harbour Master and the youngest in the world. From this position, he accelerated the pace of change.
"One of my biggest motivators was I didn't want to go back to where I came from.People get dethroned by power and fame. I say rewind -
reflect on where you have come from. Reflection helps me stay on course."
Born in Limpopo, Captain Rufus Lekala’s parents were determined that their son should get the best high school education, and sent him to Pretoria at the age of 15 to live with his uncle until he matriculated in 1991.
Opportunities were scarce and Captain Lekala at rst drove taxis to make
a living – a great training ground for developing his people skills, but not his chosen career of a lifetime. He was searching for better opportunities when he saw a Portnet advert in the paper offering bursaries for cadetships for candidates, aged between 18 and 21 years, with matric maths and science.