November 20, 2003
By Lucille Davie
CITY Parks workers "who have gone the extra mile" were acknowledged around the city on Wednesday in the MD's Achievers' Tour.
Johannesburg City Parks MD Luther Williamson praised workmen across the city in a tour that took in Boskruin in the far north right down to Lenasia in the far south.
Smiling workmen in green overalls holding garden forks and spades were surprised by an entourage of around 20 City Parks top officials, and happily lined up to receive special black and gold caps, inscribed with the words "MD's achiever".
The teams of workmen were commended for putting in extra effort, often beyond their job description, and recommended by their general managers.
"I am just here to thank you, you guys are doing a great job," said Williamson, "whatever we are doing we do with passion."
Williamson explained that City Parks' main goal is to satisfy customers, and that these teams were making a difference to those customers. This was evident by the phone calls that City Parks receives from residents.
Their work was praised at The Wilds in Houghton; Melrose Park; George Leah Park in Sandton, where a busy team were repairing the children's playground equipment; in Bartlett Park in Boskruin; at the Newclare Cemetery; pruning street trees in Roodepoort North; in King Fisher Park in Lenasia South, where a team had painted the playground equipment of several parks in the area, a task not normally required of them; and at the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve, where a team worked exceptionally hard to prepare the reserve for the introduction of game.
At Newclare Cemetery workmen were required at very short notice to prepare an area for the burial of Walter Sisulu in mid-May.
Williamson congratulated them on their efforts. "You were able to display spirit and urgency in the situation - congratulations!"
Plans for future achievers' awards include a trip with a partner, money, and certificates, said Thuli Nkosi, director of human resources. This was the first time workmen's efforts have been rewarded.
The team at Klipriviersberg were praised for putting in extra time to cut and maintain fire breaks, and, together with the city's emergency services, for dealing with a fire in the reserve. It was stressed that a good team was needed if animals were to be introduced. A number of animals - zebras, blesbok, hartebeest, wildebeest and mountain reedbuck - were introduced to the reserve in September.
Williamson stressed that the caps were only being given to this select group of workers.
Employees were obviously pleased with their caps. Lanios Motubatse, a workman at Melrose Park, said: "I need that cap, I am very happy."
In all 87 workers were given caps.
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