Times Of Swaziland: JUDGE ME AFTER 5YRS - MBABANE CEO GCINIWE JUDGE ME AFTER 5YRS - MBABANE CEO GCINIWE ================================================================================ Sabelo Ndzinisa on 21/09/2024 08:36:00 MBABANE – She oozes confidence and means business. That is the attitude newly-appointed Mbabane City Council Executive Officer (CEO) Gciniwe Fakudze displayed yesterday after she was introduced to the council workers. “Let us not judge this relationship based on how it started, but focus on how it will end after the five years,” she told the workers in no uncertain terms. Yesterday was the first time she was addressing the workers since her appointment. It is worth noting that her appointment received stiff resistance from some councillors, who went as far as the High court to challenge it. However, the court ruled a few days ago that there was nothing illegal about her appointment by the authorities, paving way for her to assume duties as the ‘new sheriff in town’. She urged the city council workers to develop the culture of only judging something at the end, not during its infant stage. “Those who know me are aware that I come from a family that loves God the Almighty and I am also a believer in Him. So how our relationship started is not important to me, because my focus is on how it will end. Maybe, judge me five years later. As to how this relationship started does not matter because later is always great, it has to be. Even if we can start at negative five, we must work to make it end at positive 100. I am focused on the end, that is where we should all focus, not the beginning,” Fakudze urged. The CEO did not hide the fact that she was very happy to be part of what she referred to as Team Mbabane. She said she was focused on ensuring that her presence at the council makes the workers’ lives better. She said workers should not leave their homes only to feel disrespected at work.“Mbabane must be that place where you wake up and play piano. This is the kind of music I play when going to work everyday. When I start my car, you will hear piano music playing because I want to reach where I am going with a positive vibe.” Stressed She stressed that Mbabane must not be a place where people apply to leave, but must be one where they apply because something better is calling them, not poverty or desperation. The CEO said she wants an environment where workers will not be happy to knock off and head home because they enjoy what they are doing. Fakudze also took time to bid farewell to Team Mbabane that is headed to Namibia for the annual Municipal games.Fakudze admitted that she was getting used to fact that she was now part and parcel of team Mbabane. She previously worked at MTN Eswatini in the position of Lead Customer Experience before her latest appointment. She did not forget to pass her words of gratitude to the Mbabane Mayor Thulani Mkhonto for affording her the opportunity to not only greet but bid farewell to the council workers going to Namibia. “I know that you are leaving for the games and can only imagine the excitement you must be feeling right now. “I can relate to this excitement and if I was part of the trip, I would have packed my bags and ready by now even if I was leaving tomorrow. I know what this trip means to you,” she said. Fakudze shared a conversation she had with one of the departing workers before the farewell function. The CEO said she reminded the worker in question that the trip was not just about the fun of travelling to Namibia, but displaying spirit of unity to and back home. She said the travelling municipal workers from the different towns including Siteki, Nhlangano, Manzini and Malkerns among others, should always keep in mind that they are now representing Eswatini, not their town councils. “It is important that we behave ourselves as a country. I recall during my last visit to Namibia for the same games, while I was still with the Matsapha City Council. We arrived at night in our buses singing our lungs out. “Then the following morning when we attended the opening ceremony, the headlines on the streets was how dirty we are yet we call ourselves municipal workers. “This is because we had littered the place with papers juice bottles etc, something that is foreign in Namibia, one of the cleanest countries not just in Africa but the world as a whole.” Fakudze implored the workers to practise cleanliness in Namibia and ensure that they do not create a bad image about the country. She said they only realised later that their conduct was wayward, as they were throwing bottles and other waste recklessly. She said it was important that as the workers are preparing to travel, they should represent themselves properly. The CEO urged the workers to take their time to breath and refresh themselves, pointing out that mental wellness was very important in a person’s life. “Even if you ask a darts player why he or she is playing the sport, they would probably tell you that it is refreshing their minds. “I used to play soccer before but got badly injured. I could not wear my high-heeled shoes for six months, which is how bad the injury was. That is when I realised playing soccer was not for me because the was not even a goat at stake,”she jokingly added. She said after her unfortunate injury, she then developed love for cycling, a sport she does even today. Fakudze stated that when she competes in cycling, she always feels refreshed and happy, hence urged the workers to take their time and forget personal troubles but have fun away from home. The CEO, who previously held the same position at both the Siteki Town Board and Matsapha Municipality, said taking part in such games has its own benefits, mentally and physically.