Vocational element links long servers' careers

Stalwarts: Among those honoured at the Long Service Awards dinner were these members of the libraries team (from left) Warren Hansen, Jean Risien, Kashiefa Shade, Russel Williams, Linda Krawitz, Antoinette Davy, and Janine Dunlop.

Vice-chancellor Dr Max Price compared the careers of long-service award recipients to a religious vocation.

"Your work at UCT goes far beyond just being a job," he said at the presentation function on 1 October. "There is a vocational element to it, a calling on your life as powerful as any religious vocation."

Price handed awards to UCT stalwarts for 15, 25 and 35 years of service. Attending the event to receive their 35-year service awards were:

• Hugh Amoore, who began serving UCT in his student days, as a Students' Representative Council member, and rose to the position of Registrar (see interview on pg 4);
• Charles Fortune, known to his friends as Mr Matambo, who started his UCT career at age 21 in the plumbing workshop, and is a handyman with a number of duties;
• Cassiem Kahn, who joined UCT as a plumbing assistant, and continues to serve in the maintenance purchasing department;
• Linda Krawitz, who joined UCT Libraries for a "break" after her travels, and stayed on. She worked in the Law Library for 20 years, and now serves in the acquisitions department;
• Antonia Markus, who has expanded her area of expertise during her time as a cleaner/messenger in the anaesthetic laboratory. She now assists with chemical analysis and has become an experienced laboratory assistant;
• Henry van Rensburg, who couldn't read or write when he first joined UCT in 1970. He is now an assistant supervisor in the post room;
• Terence Willis, who was 16 when he began his career at UCT. He has worked in all three divisions of the Animal Unit.
• (Also honoured with 35-year long-service awards were Ramela Bhaga, Ernest Stout and Clive van Graan, who could not attend the ceremony.)

(View the photo album of the recipients)