Page 35 - Maritime Book 1

“It wasn’t easy to lead people who had been
my superiors back when I had started working for TNPA, but maturity as well as the all-round experience I had gained in the smaller ports, helped me to manage the complexity of the role.”
Three years later Captain Lekala received a call from the then TNPA Chief Executive, Khomotso Phihlela, advising that he wanted him to relocate to take up the position of Harbour Master of South Africa’s biggest and busiest port, the Port of Durban.
His wife had just given birth and was reluctant to leave Cape Town so he went on his own accepting that TNPA had given him an opportunity of a lifetime, little knowing that he would soon be appointed South Africa’s rst Black Chief Harbour Master and play an in uential role in shaping TNPA’s maritime heritage.
Amongst his most signi cant achievements are driving the quest for gender equity in marine operations and creating in-house capacity to deliver TNPA’s helicopter service at the Ports of Richards Bay and Durban and in the future, at the Port of Cape Town.
He has also been at the helm during an exciting period when TNPA has replaced its dredging eet, replaced and acquired new helicopters and acquired new tugs with 70 ton bollard pull, proudly manufactured in South Africa by South African ship builders.
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