Council is made up of many faces that we meet daily at work, but we never really take the time to learn more about the next person except refer to them as colleagues.
But everyone has a profound story to tell. One such story is that of Thanyani Phungo, a Security Officer at Council known to many as "Phungo".
Our first impression of Phungo during the interview is how humble and eloquent he is.
Early Life and Challenges
Growing up in a small town of Vuwani in Limpopo, life was not always kind to him. He lost both his parents at an early age. After matric, his dream was to venture into Labour Relations. However, without the financial and parental support, he had to put his dream on hold.
He instead opted for the Security Sector. He completed an EDCB Course at HJN Training Centre in Pretoria in 2010 and two years later joined Duvha Security. He is one of the Security Officers retained by Security Companies that came after Duvha Security in the last 12 years at Council.
Daily Responsibilities
A typical day in his line of work include duties in access control, manning access points and directing walk-in clients at the front desk to various services points at Council.
"Our key role is to ensure that all employees of Council are safe"
says a proud Phungo. "What I like most about being here is that Council has played a significant role to ensure our rights are protected given that the sector is notorious for exploitation."
Educational Achievement
Phungo enrolled and successfully completed a Higher Certificate in Office Administration from the Rosebank College, thanks to the persistent words of encouragement from Galebotse Mothupi, a Senior Case Management Officer in the Disputes and Litigation Section and the support from his partner.
He believes the achievement scored him an interview for a related position at Council. However, lack of experience did not work in his favour as he was not appointed.
Words of Wisdom
The advice he wants to give to anyone with a challenging background is to keep pushing.
"Refuse to be stagnant in life and most importantly, never allow your background to limit your potential"
Family Life
Phungo is married and blessed with two beautiful girls aged 9 and 13. His family are his biggest supporters, and they motivate him to be a better version of himself.
Away from work, Phungo spends his time with his family and swaps that with TV. "I don't mind watching CBS channel the entire day, that is my favourite channel."
Phungo is a living proof that the life in front of you is far more important than the life behind you!