In our daily quagmire of incompetence and struggle with inefficiency and unaccountability, there are silver linings around us.

I am a firm believer of giving credit where it is due. One such a deserving person is the new efficient and friendly voice of Mpho Emanuel Mulaudzi that mans the Electricity Fault Reporting Centre at Makhado Municipality.

What makes him exceptional is the dedication with which he follows through on a problem. I recently reported my terminally dysfunctional line at 18:00. He dispatched his team, but by 22:00 there was still no power. Due to unreliable cell phone service, it transpired that the team couldn’t reach me on my phone. At 04:00, when I woke up to still no power, I was a little peeved, to say the least.

However, at 05:00 sharp I had a call from him, inquiring whether my power was on. He immediately re-dispatched his team and within an hour the power was back on.
Mpho, you make a pleasant difference to my ongoing struggle with a dysfunctional line and you set an excellent example for your peers.

Thank you! You are a champion.

- Annette Kennealy (Louis Trichardt)