Kunene: 34 Years On, But Still Driving

FREDERICK KEBADIRETSE
Staff Writer | Monday November 1, 2010 00:00

 

Add to that, he knows the registration numbers of all the current and previous vehicles the council has owned from over 30 years ago.

Narrating his story to The Monitor last  Friday, Kunene said he has been able to endure such longevity as a driver due to his dedication and love for the job.

Having only done Grade Three at school, the man from Gabane said he followed in the footsteps of what many boys his age did at the time, going to work in the South African mines.

This was in the 1970s. He said he came back home after only two years at the mines.

'I came back and worked at Selebi-Phikwe as the town had just been established and there was a lot of construction work going on there,' he said.

Kunene obtained his first drivers license in 1969 before migrating to the South African mines. He later joined a company called Fowlers, which was sub-contracted in the construction of the A1 road between Gaborone and Francistown.

He worked very hard, driving a tipper truck that his white bosses often called him aside to praise his hard work and offer some incentives. The Kgatleng District Council snatched him from Fowlers in 1974 where he was employed to drive a newly acquired truck.

'I remember so vividly. The council had only three vehicles when I joined. They had just bought a truck which I was hired to drive,' Kunene said.

The veteran driver said he has been moved from one department to another during his long tenure at the council. At one point he was working for the health department where he has very sad memories he wishes could just go away. It was in 1974 when he joined the health department working for a couple of months at Bokaa Clinic before being transferred to Oodi clinic in the same district.

He said those were very hard times because drivers used to transport expecting mothers alone to the hospital after reporting labour pains.

'Women used to deliver at the back of the van right in front of my eyes. At one point I nearly got in trouble when a woman lost her life after poor delivery, while I was transporting her to hospital. The authorities wanted to put the blame on me. Luckily I was rescued by her relatives who were accompanying her to the hospital,' he said.

He said during those years he faced many hardships, among them being hijacked while driving an ambulance.

Kunene said he made a return to the Bakgatla capital in 1982, where he joined the water unit under the council. He spent the time between 1982 and 1997 shifting departments from the Water Unit to Roads Department and also had a stint driving for the Sanitation Unit collecting and disposing of refuse from homesteads.

In 1998 he was promoted to the post of deputy transport manager, which was later referred to as 'Senior Driver', a post he holds to date.

He said his current job entails allocating cars to be used by different departments of the council which requires a sharp memory, good decision making and patience because departments sometimes scramble for cars which could lead to conflicts if not addressed appropriately.

Kunene said he saw many people grow under him to become seasoned professionals in the fields they do in the council. 'I have actually trained some junior staff after they joined the council, most of them learned a lot from me,' he said. He said it is sometimes saddening to realise that some of his former colleagues have long left the council and some are dead while he is still doing his job.

He said over the years he has learnt to appreciate people of different personalities and that is why he never encounters problems working with anyone.

He however said he realised that there is a gap between drivers of yesteryears and drivers today, as the latter appear to be far less responsible with their duties.

A staunch Zion Christian Church (ZCC) member, Kunene said he has always had respect for everyone, young and old because that is the only way you can also be respected as an individual. Not only is he respected by the current crop of workers at the council, an interview with some of his former colleagues revealed that Kunene is held in high regard in the Kgatleng District Coouncil.

Luka Tsheole, who is now retired from the council, said he joined the council in 1985 and he found Kunene already a respected figure at work and everywhere around Kgatleng.

'When I joined the council in 1985, he was very popular in the neighbouring villages because he used to deliver water around that time. He is a very tireless worker and a good adviser. He does not mind volunteering, over the years he has put his job on the line pioneering for many drivers rights,' Tsheole said of Kunene.

Another colleague, Olefile Mokgotle, who still works under the Health Department at the council said, over the years he found Kunene to be a very careful individual who always sticks to his promise.

He said many workers at the council continue to look to him for advice as his experience is unmatched.

'Ever since he got here, his jobs are countless; he is always there for other employees,' he said.

Asked if he considers retiring, the veteran driver said he believes he still has a few more years to carry on, but he will retire and go home when the time is right.