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The City of Tshwane honoured employees who have reached the end of their municipal careers at our Retirees Appreciation and Certification Ceremony.

The ceremony provides us with an opportunity to formally recognise colleagues who have dedicated years, and in some cases decades, of their working lives to serving Tshwane and its residents. Some of the employees we honoured today have served the City for a few years, while others have served for close to five decades.

During that time, administrations have changed, priorities have evolved and our city itself has grown and changed. Through all of this, our officials have provided the institutional continuity that keeps the machinery of local government functioning.

In a message to the retirees, Tshwane Executive Mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya, paid tribute to the generations of municipal employees who have sustained the City through changing administrations and difficult periods.

“Mayors and administrations come and go, but it is our officials who carry the work of this City forward. You are the backbone of this institution. Many of you have dedicated much of your working lives to serving our capital city through successive administrations, changing priorities and difficult times. You have brought experience, patience and a commitment to helping people.

You have guided younger colleagues, supported your teams and helped keep services running, often without public recognition. The work you have done and the knowledge you have shared will continue to matter long after your final day in the office or on duty. Today, we want you to know that your dedication is recognised and your contribution is valued,” said Executive Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya.

Municipal service is often most visible through the infrastructure residents use and the frontline services they receive. Behind those services, however, are thousands of employees performing the administrative, financial, human resources, customer care, records management and operational functions that make service delivery possible. Much of this work happens quietly and away from public attention, but without it the City simply could not function.

The ceremony was therefore our opportunity to say something that institutions perhaps do not say often enough to the people who have served them faithfully: thank you.

Our retirees leave behind more than completed employment records. They leave behind decades of experience and institutional knowledge that cannot simply be acquired from policies, manuals or training programmes. They have mentored younger colleagues, supported their teams, navigated difficult periods and accumulated an understanding of this institution that remains immensely valuable.

As the political leadership responsible for Corporate and Shared Services, we recognise the importance of ensuring that this knowledge is transferred to the next generation of municipal employees. A strong institution must value the experience of those who have served it while developing the people who will carry its work forward.

We must also recognise that behind every long career in public service are families and loved ones who have shared in the sacrifices that come with it. There were early mornings, long working days and occasions when municipal responsibilities competed with responsibilities at home. We therefore extend our gratitude not only to our retirees, but also to the spouses, partners, children, families and loved ones who supported them throughout their careers.

The certificates presented today are a formal acknowledgement of the years of service each retiree has given to the City, but no certificate can fully capture the contribution of a career spent in public service. That contribution lives on in the colleagues they have mentored, the knowledge they have shared, the systems they have strengthened and the residents they have served.

As our colleagues begin this new chapter, we wish them the opportunity to rest, spend more time with their families, pursue interests they may have postponed during their working lives and enjoy the fruits of many years of service.

We wish every one of our retirees good health, happiness and fulfilment in the years ahead.

You have given your time, experience and talents to Tshwane. Today, Tshwane honours you with gratitude and respect.

Congratulations, and thank you for your service to our capital city.

Issued by the City of Tshwane