For the past 14 years, the friendly and ever-smiling face of Mr Markus Ndou was a welcome sight at government and private institutions in Musina town. However, the time came for him to say goodbye to the job he loved so much, following his retirement last Friday (31 March) at the age of 65. Ndou worked as a messenger at Musina Municipality's Corporate Services Department.
On his last day of work, Ndou told Limpopo Mirror that his retirement was a bittersweet moment for him. "I am happy to have served the people of Musina to the best of my ability, and I have fulfilled my obligations as a civil servant. But I am also sad to leave my dear colleagues and the stakeholders I have worked with, because they were a part of my daily life. Musina Municipality was my second home, and I will miss all the beautiful things I now have to leave behind. I want to thank the municipality for giving me the opportunity to realise my potential," he said.
Ndou said that, when he had started his job 14 years ago, things had not been as easy as they were today. "I had the advantage of being physically fit because I had previously worked for several security companies. When I joined the municipality, I was given a bicycle to distribute municipal correspondence accordingly. I did not realise then just how much riding a bicycle all day would contribute to my physical health and fitness. Now, cars are available, which makes the job of a messenger a lot easier, but I still preferred to ride my bicycle from place to place. I loved this job more than anything I have ever done in my life. My wish for the young people is that they too develop a true love for their jobs, so that they can also retire with pride one day, like me," he said.
Musina's municipal manager, Mr Nathi Tshiwanammbi, thanked Ndou for his much-appreciated contributions over the years and wished him a happy retirement and well-deserved rest.