Ms Gloria Ramaano of Ngwemani ya Ha-Themeli silenced all the men in the province last weekend, when she was crowned the best truck driver in the province.

The Limpopo Provincial Driver of the Year Competition was held at Bela-Bela on Friday and Saturday and Ramaano, the only female driver, was competing against 59 men.  She won a R5 000 cash price, a microwave oven, a gold medal and a three-day weekend break with her partner.

Although she has just won the top honours, Ramaano was already at work on Monday where she was driving a truck that collects rubbish bins around Thohoyandou, where she has been working since December last year.

“When I participated, I was very nervous, but I was very happy and proud when I was announced the best driver. This is a huge achievement for me.  I think my achievement will also inspire other women to understand that women are as capable as men,” said the excited Ramaano, a family woman and the mother of two children.

She said her poor background had forced her into this career. “I always wanted to be a traffic officer, but when I passed matric at Guvhukuvhu Secondary School in 2000, I opted for a Code 10 driver’s licence as I did not have money to follow my dream.”

She found work as a truck driver in Gauteng, but later joined Enos Bush Service as a bus driver. Last December, she joined the Thulamela municipality. She also competed in the same competition in 2010 and 2011, where she finished in the second and third positions respectively.

“This is good.  It is God’s will, and I am very grateful to him.  I am now aiming to win the national title, so that I can become a world champion,” says Ramaano. She will represent Limpopo during the national competition to be held in Cape Town next February.  If she wins, she will represent South Africa in Poland next August.

The spokesperson for the Thulamela municipality, Nndwamato Tshiila, said that they were  very proud of Ramaano’s achievement.  “We are confident that she will still represent us well in the national and world competition.”