We Celebrate Women at the Forefront of Making the City Work

The City observes Women’s Month by taking a moment to recognise women who have made a mark for themselves in fields they were previously excluded from working in.

Bongi Zwane (50) from Thokoza is one such woman who does what was perceived to be designed only for men, and she does it with ease and precision.

The mother of three and grandmother to one, has been part of the Parks unit for the past 13 years. She starts at 07h00 at the Parks depot in Germiston, and then moves out for the day’s work that includes tree cutting, pruning and removing fallen tree stumps. Bongi has been trained to operate tree cutting machines, such as the chainsaw and the pole pruner, and she credits her colleagues for their patience in teaching her how best to handle the machinery.

“I love what I do, and am at my very best when I am doing my job. My colleagues have been very instrumental in assisting me to get used to operating the machines and now I can safely say I master the art of tree pruning and tree stub cutting,” she proudly says.

Bongi encourages young women not to be choosy when looking for jobs. There is no job designed for just men, she adds, women can also roll up their sleeves and get the job done perfectly.