TRANSNET National Ports Authority (TNPA) chief executive Shulami Qalinge has announced the appointments of Sharon Sijako as port manager in East London and Shadrack Tshikalange as port manager at the Port of Mossel Bay, effective December 1.
Both appointees have fulfilled the roles in an acting capacity since April, when TNPA last made leadership appointments, following the resignation of the Cape Town and Saldanha port managers.
Tshikalange and Sijako most recently served at their respective ports as senior operations managers for three-and-a-half years.
Qalinge said: “We are delighted to have finalised the recruitment and selection processes leading up to these appointments, as this will better enable us to deliver on our strategic objectives and continue to pursue improvements in safety and operational efficiencies at these ports.
“I would also like to thank Captain Vania Cloete in Mossel Bay and Mr Alvin Singama in East London, who have both shared the acting port manager responsibilities with our successful appointees in their respective ports this year.
“The decision was not made any easier, due to the high calibre of these and other applicants. We are however confident that Shadrack and Sharon will continue to serve our organisation and its clients most ably in their new roles,” she added.
Sijako is the second female port manager in East London after Jacqueline Brown, who had a nine-year tenure at the helm of South Africa’s only river port. “Sijako’s career with Transnet began 21 years ago with short tenures at the ports of Richards Bay and Port Elizabeth. In 1998, she joined the Port of East London, where she has developed a deep understanding of the port system through operations roles at both TNPA and sister division, Transnet port terminals.
She has more than a decade of senior operations experience spanning the port’s automotive, container and grain terminals. A dynamic manager, Sijako counts team leadership and people management among her strengths, which will serve her well as she strives to deliver on the TNPA strategy and ultimately provide the best service to customers,” read a TNPA statement. Sijako’s qualifications include a BA degree and an honours degree in administration from the University of the Western Cape, and she has completed a number of training courses. A proud East Londoner, Sijako matriculated from Mzomhle Senior Secondary School in Mdantsane.
Originally from landlocked Limpopo, Tshikalange’s foray into the maritime industry began three years ago, when he was appointed senior operations manager at the Port of Mossel Bay. His responsibilities included ensuring efficient port operations, compliance management and that operational standards were met and exceeded. Stakeholder coordination and customer satisfaction were key facets of his role and will continue to be of importance in his new position.
Tshikalange holds a B Juris degree from the University of the North, as well as an array of certifications in fields as diverse as port management, project management, development planning and labour relations. He is currently pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership Development from the University of Stellenbosch.
