Hard Work And Perseverance Pays Off For Malibongwe

Malibongwe Gumbi (27) was appointed as an Underground Engineer at Kangra on 1 August 2019, in recognition of his consistent hard work and good performance during his time on the mine.

He was born in Pongola and grew up in the rural area of Magudu, in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal [KZN]. Malibongwe attended primary school in Magudu and was then sent to Jozini where he completed high school at iGugulesizwe Secondary School and he matriculated in 2010.

For as long as he can remember, Malibongwe’s dream was to go to university and become an Electrical Engineer, but he knew that owing to his impoverished circumstances, this would be very difficult to achieve.

However, in 2011 while on a gap year working on a farm in KZN, he met Wenche Eimhjellem from Norway, whom he shared his dream of becoming an Electrical Engineer with. She not only pushed Malibongwe to realise his dream, but also supported him financially, as much as possible to achieve it.

She paid for his initial years of study at the Durban University of Technology. He completed the theoretical parts of his course in 2014 and was able to secure internships at various mining houses and at training institutes that were located throughout KZN.

In May 2015, Malibongwe joined Kangra as an intern, where he received P1 and P2 practical training, which is required to complete one’s electrical engineering qualification.

When Malibongwe started at Kangra he met then Engineering Manager, Herman Wohlitz, who became his mentor while he was doing his P1 training. While undergoing his P2 practical training, then Surface and Plant Engineer Ernest Searle was his mentor. Another person who mentored him at Kangra was then Underground Engineering Manager Driekus Nothnagel, who gave him important guidance and support during his time as an acting underground production General Engineering Supervisor.

All men inspired Malibongwe to go for his Government Certificate of Competency (GCC) – which is the Engineer’s Certificate of Competency required for a mechanical and/or electrical engineering technician – on completion of his P2 training. In August 2016, he started with his GCC. His first attempt at writing the GCC exam was in November 2018 and Malibongwe passed the legal knowledge examination as one of GCC modules.

In June 2019, he completed the second module of the GCC which is about Plant Engineering. In recognition of his resilience and good results, Kangra appointed Malibongwe as an Underground Engineer.

Malibongwe points out that in the process of his studies from 2016 to 2019 he has served in several positions at Kangra: including as Acting Underground Engineer, Surface Engineer, Plant Engineer, Plant Mechanical Foreman and as a Boilermaker Foreman – which shows that he has gained vast experience in several different roles to date during his time at Kangra.

Furthermore, in February 2019, Malibongwe was appointed as Underground Production General Engineering Supervisor (GES), which is a position that he will hold until such time as he passes GCC and receives what is colloquially called a ‘Ticket’.

Success starts with self-belief

He says that the mine management team has treated him exceptionally well and is “deeply appreciative for all the time, effort and resources that Kangra has invested in developing me.”

“What I have achieved over the past few years means a great deal to me and my family. I believe that the reasons that I have achieved what I have to date are because of my mother’s prayers, belief in myself and the great deal of support that I have received from many others. In order for others to believe in you, you need to first believe in yourself.”

There is a saying that Malibongwe lives by: “If something isn’t working for me, only I, myself, can change it. Attitude is everything, if you have the right, positive attitude, no challenge is insurmountable. This, coupled with self-discipline can overcome almost anything, that would otherwise look and seem unachievable.”

He says that: “As an Underground Engineer I am responsible for ensuring the safety of all those working underground, which is a heavy responsibility, and one that I do not take lightly. Safety is the top priority at Kangra. We need to ensure we achieve our goal of ‘Zero Harm’ which is crucial to enabling good, consistent production at the mine.”

Setting Goals

His short-term goal is to become a highly knowledgeable and proficient engineer that can engineer a creative, workable solution to any operational challenge that the mine is faced with.

The sky is the limit for Malibongwe as he seeks to continue to learn and develop his skills and knowledge in the mining sector, with his ultimate goal of becoming a managing director at a large mining house someday.

However, his other long-term goal is to achieve an MBA before he turns 35.

“I want to continue studying and learn everything there is to know about business,” Malibongwe concludes.