Page 4 - Maritime Book 1

A WORD FROM THE TNPA CHIEF EXECUTIVE
PEPI SILINGA
TNPA CHIEF EXECUTIVE
The history of our operating division does not belong to the organisation alone.
It is made up of the life stories of hundreds of hardworking individuals whose dedication has led to the worldwide recognition we have the privilege to claim as TNPA.
Much like the waters upon which we operate, the past few decades have had it all – rough seas in the form of uncertainty and the smooth sailing that is commercial growth.
Through it all, our development and transformation as a national entity has been an exciting journey that has changed the demographics of the maritime industry forever.
We remain a fairly young democracy and the strides we have made in the past 20 years in the face of dif culties, must be showcased as a point of pride.
our people.
including the birth of a new, green port and the acquisition of a world-class eet of dredgers and tugs.
In this publication, while we acknowledge these advances, we pay homage to TNPA’s rst group
of mariners who broke through the boundaries
of colour and gender. We recognise the many sacri ces they made to achieve the positions they occupy today and celebrate the spirit they so clearly embody.
Their personal stories are a source of pride and inspiration. They include the Shorehand who would become a harbour master, the young man who couldn’t swim, but joined the Navy as a way out
of poverty and the young seafarer who stood her ground in a male-dominated industry so that she could become TNPA’s rst female harbour master.
These stories and experiences
are testament to the strength and
fortitude of our greatest a et -
As is human nature, we tend to celebrate the bigger accomplishments – the advent of ground-breaking technology, the upgrades to our infrastructure,