Itumeleng Moagi- The worst of times, the best of times.

Itumeleng Moagi has 12 years’ experience in the Construction, Health and Safety (CHS) environment. He is employed as a Professional Health and Safety Agent (PrCHSA) by Incident Prevention Solutions (IPS). He also serves as a CHS Assessor and interview panelist as well as a mentor for Candidate Health and Safety Agents.

Itumeleng grew up in a one-room house with both his parents and brother in 2nd Avenue in Alexandra Township. His dad was a fashionable, short tempered, serious hustler from an insanely impoverished background. His father tried everything under the sun to put food on the table, including migrating to Mafikeng without informing his mom that he will be starting a business there. “I guess that’s who I learned my entrepreneurial skills from. My mom, the fashionable, smart, very strict and financially savvy nucleus of my life, is the reason why I save and invest consistently every month. My brother is a handsomely fashionable, very generous and intelligent ladies’ man”.

Humble beginnings

“I worked for the Free State Provincial Department of Health as an environmental health practitioner and if I did not take bribes then, I don’t think I would now. My deliverables included occupational health inspections, food safety, water monitoring, compliance management and port health services; all with the aim of minimizing environmental health and safety impacts. I then worked for a small firm in Vanderbijlpark - GSRC Management - that was doing SHE consultative work for Iscor (now Arcelor Mittal) around the country. The pleasure of working for a small firm is that you become an all-rounder. A big firm teaches you systems while a small firm teaches you the assembly of meat on a skeleton.”

Itumeleng was then poached by Murray and Roberts Construction to join them in their Education, Training and Development department. What was beautiful about that experience was that it taught him construction, from brick setting right through to project commissioning. He had a dual responsibility, being both a trainer and a site CHS practitioner. Itumeleng later left Murray and Roberts Construction and joined IPS (Incident Prevention Solutions), a small CHS consulting firm based in Johannesburg and Mafikeng.

Read more in SACPCMP’s Shape Shifter magazine

Beautiful Heart but Tough as Nails

When Daphney Thaba entered the domain of Candidate Construction Project Mangers, she had no qualms about it being a male dominated terrain. Instead she embraced what she was taught about gender stereotyping and forged ahead. The result? A candidate with the potential to achieve greatness!

“I admire people who inspire and encourage me - such as my parents - for their consistent hard work and support and our very own Black empowering South African females. I believe it all starts at home being supported by your loved one in everything you want to achieve. While growing up and finding my feet it was also Black empowering South African females of our country and even abroad who taught me that anything is achievable; especially those who have broken and are still breaking gender restrictions,” says Thaba.

The journey for Thaba commenced in Limpopo Province in the city of Polokwane at Capricorn High School where she was always admiring and amused by her educator, Mrs Ferreira. “As an elder she would always carry herself with such class and dignity, looking so pretty. How I loved her who taught me that even when I get to her age to always carry myself in that manner” says Daphney. She then garnered enough strength to move to the Eastern Cape where she currently resides. The journey was by no means easy, but thanks to the inspirational words of those who inspire her constantly ringing in her ears, she was able to succeed. Today she works at the National Department of Public Works in Port Elizabeth.

A will to succeed

How did Joseph Mndawu Sithole progress from working at a garage forecourt to being a registered Health and Safety Officer and working on major projects such as Eastgate Mall and BMW in Rosslyn? The answer is: through sheer determination and a will to succeed. Sithole had to navigate many obstacles, learn the ropes quickly and then transfer his skills through mentorship so that he could build a team of competent individuals.

His roots were humble and family means a lot to him.

“I grew up on a Farm near Nelspruit. We were a very poor family of 9 children, 4 of whom had already passed on. My mother has also passed on, but I am an active family member who likes to maintain close relationship with my family, helping each other, caring for my father and ensuring that we spend time together as a family. We have witnessed a lot of transformation in life and we respect God because we believe he is the one who changed our lives,” says Sithole.

The journey to success reads like a Hollywood movie script.

“I was working at a garage forecourt from 1995 to 1998. During those years I was studying part time at Damelin College doing Administration Management. On my completion of the course, I applied for a post as a clerk. In June 1998 I was employed by a Stocks & Stocks, a construction company. I persisted in doing short computer courses.

Read more in SACPCMP’s Shape Shifter magazine

Managing Constructing Projects; Managing men!

Amanda Mtya, a Construction Management Lecturer in the Department of Construction Economics and Management at the University of Cape Town also has the onerous task of managing production on construction sites. The challenge of this aspect lies in the challenge of managing men, quips Mtya.

“Managing the human element on construction projects still has to be one of the most challenging and exciting tasks for me. I am a people’s person and, as simple as that may sound, it is my biggest weapon. Managing diverse teams from numerous organisations can be daunting and without proper communication, everyone can pull into different directions. My main objective is to ensure that all efforts are directed towards the same goal effectively and efficiently. In my current role as lecturer, my main challenge is to attain student engagement. Construction Management is a very practical and hands-on discipline and most of my students still experience the disconnect between theory and application. The exposure and experience I have gained in industry adds value to my course content through practical illustration of concepts,” says this bright and enthusiastic young lady.

She is currently an active member of the SACPCMP’s Construction Management Development Committee (CMDC). “My involvement with the SACPCMP’s Construction Management Development Committee is one of my highlights as it has helped me understand the challenges facing the Construction Management discipline in the country,” indicates Mtya.

Read more in SACPCMP’s Shape Shifter magazine