African Wildlife & Environment Issue 79

WESSA LEADERSHIP

the committee he took up the Social Media and Youth Mobilisation Portfolio in which he revived the region’s Facebook page and also created an Instagram page. Later in 2020, when new committee duties were assigned, he was nominated for the role of Western Cape Branch regional representative, a position which he later accepted. He now represents the Western Cape at the Regional Representatives Forum. Mpendulo is enjoying his new role, as he says that it is giving him extensive leadership experience in corporate governance at his tender age of 27 years. He’s learnt that running an organisation of this magnitude requires courage, determination, wisdom and compassion. The organisation is not only a member-based organization which people only attend to at their leisure, but it also a permanent occupation for some and puts bread on many tables throughout the country whilst fighting for the environment. This is the one thing Mpendulo says makes him very proud ofWESSA. Mpendulo admits that before he studied Environmental Science and also consequently falling in love with the field, he thought that WESSA, just like the environmental discipline as a whole, was not for people of colour because many young and old black people still predominantly believe that things to do with nature and the environment are for white people. He says, that tenet is brought by the fact that his race previously lacked representation in the leadership of such spaces, and that people do not see their own kind that they relate to in the public and media domains, and this is something that Mpendulo wants to change. Mpendulo recognises the recent election of a black chairman as a symbol of change, and new opportunity for WESSA to break boundaries and reach heights and populations that they have never imagined reaching. As a young dedicated and enthusiastic public servant, Mpendulo hopes to plant the seed of environmental consciousness amongst his peers, race, and society at large and hopes that this will do good for the environment and future generations to come.

was a contract worker at Mthabelas Engineering as an environmental advisor and researching consultant; this was during his final undergraduate year and postgraduate qualification while he was completing his Honours degree. At Mthabelas Engineering he was responsible for project identification and project management, liaising with other specialist environmental consultants, government and other appropriate personnel. In March 2016, Mpendulo got a permanent job as an environmental consultant at WSP Environmental (Pty) Ltd (WSP) which he held for four years until February 2020 when he joined the public service with the Western Cape Government. Mpendulo has worked on different projects in government as well as the private sector, providing consulting and technical advisory services. While at WSP, he had exposure in the following local and international sectors, renewable energy, electricity generation, distribution and transmission, mining, maritime engineering, construction, heavy and light industrial, pulp and paper, oil and gas as well as environmental and public health. In terms of Leadership, Mpendulo has been in leadership positions for nine years, as he has held two very important roles in the faith-based and religious space within his church, the St Johns Apostolic Faith Mission – Umlazi Circuit, where he was on the Umlazi Circuit’s Executive Board as the Youth Society Chairman in 2012, and was soon elevated to Acting Treasurer (2015) and finally made the permanent Treasurer in 2017, which is a position he holds to date. Professionally, Mpendulo is a social and professional mentor to three individuals who are within the field of environmental science. He often gives constructive advice and guidance to the unemployed and university students who are within the environmental science field, and mentored and supervised junior vacation work staff atWSP. In terms of WESSA, Mpendulo supported and followed WESSA from about six years ago, but only joined three years ago due to his love for environmental advocacy. He joined the KZN branch but shortly moved to the Western Cape Branch in 2020 when he relocated. Upon relocating there, he introduced himself to the Regional Committee, and was warmly and happily co-opted onto the committee. In

Connect with and Follow him on LinkedIn through his professional and academic journey at: @Mpendulo Dlamini (Pr. Sci. Nat) (Reg. EAP).

14 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 79 (2021)