KNP’s William Mabasa hailed for 20 years of service
The two decades that SANParks’ William Mabasa dedicated to nature conservation has not gone unnoticed. He was recently acknowledged by the Kruger National Park (KNP) for his selfless service.
3 hours ago
This was done at a function held at Mopani Camp. Lowvelder interviewed this humble nature lover to find out what makes him tick.
Tell us about yourself, and your background, and your family.
I was born at Malamulele in Limpopo; the firstborn and the only boy in a family of four siblings. I started schooling at Xigalo Primary School until I passed my standard six.
After finishing high school in the same area, I started working in Pretoria for the then-administration board for Central Transvaal in 1977 and held various positions there until 1986, when I went to join what was known as Vosloorus City Council as a liaison officer, and that was where my interest in public relations was unearthed.
From Vosloorus I went to join the then-Gazankulu Development Corporation in Tzaneen in 1994 as a public relations officer.
The entity became the Northern Province Development Corporation in 1996 and is now the Limpopo Economic Development Agency. In 1999 I joined SANParks as senior manager public relations officer to establish a department in the KNP.
This is now known as communication and marketing. I then became general manager of communication and marketing, the position I held until 2017. After that I moved to my current position as general manager of community liaison and land claims.
2) What attracted you to the KNP?
When I applied for the position of senior manager, the first thing that excited me was the fact that I was going to establish a department and articulate my own vision for communication, and secondly working for nature conservation in the bush after city life was going to be a lifetime experience. That had indeed been the case right up to today.
3) What was the park like when you started, and how has it changed?
In 1999, of all South Africans who visited the park, 94 per cent were whites and only about 6 per cent were people of other colours. Somehow there was an urgent need for us to change this situation and we managed to change it mainly through communication programmes from six per cent to 30 per cent by 2009.
4) What inspires you?
I like challenges and do my best under pressure.
5) Can you still remember your first working day at KNP and what was your position?
I remember my first day very well. What came as shock to me was the length of service of the few people to whom I was introduced, of which none had served for less than 25 years.
I thought that it was just too long for one to work under one employer. I came in as senior manager and became a GM in 2003.
6) Is there any particular moment or memory that stands out for you?
There are three events that I will never forget in my life. The first one was the 2000 floods at Skukuza, the second one was the fire disaster at Pretoriuskop in 2001 and the third event was our 110 years celebration of the KNP.
7) Is there an achievement or contribution that you are most proud of?
I am proud to say I have contributed immensely in building the profile and reputation that KNP and SANParks enjoys today.
8) What was the biggest challenge you had to face?
Having to deal with the Pretoriuskop fire disaster communication was the saddest and the biggest challenge of my career in the KNP.
9) How has working at the KNP changed you?
I now have a greater understanding of the importance of conservation in the world than I had when I came to the park.
10) We finish the interview and you step outside the office and find a lottery ticket that ends up winning
R10 million. What would you do?
I would give most of it to my children.
https://lowvelder.co.za/516455/knps-wil ... s-service/
William Mabasa
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