Wits shines spotlight on stalwart this Women’s Month
- Tshepiso Mametela
A community of administrators, coaches, sports officers, and athletes are not all that prop up the beams of Wits University’s successful student-centred sport department. Wits Sport celebrates a loyal foot soldier Takalani Mudau, who has drummed up twelve years with the Wits Sport department.
Mudau works as a facility attendant. She has been pivotal in ensuring that all Wits Sport Conference Centre venues, the setting for many glittering events and functions, are meticulously kept. “Mam’ Taka” as she is lovingly known, began her stint as a contract cleaner on the Wits main campus under Supercare in 2007, before moving to Wits Sport in 2010. She is now a full-time employee at Wits Sport.
“My journey has been amazing. It feels like yesterday when I joined the team. And I love how I have had different learning opportunities,” she said.
Mudau, the first of four siblings, grew up in rural Nzhelele in Dopeni, which is located in Venda, Limpopo where she walked long distances to get to school. She met her life partner in high school, with whom she tied the knot in 1996, three years after completing matric. The couple later moved to and settled in Johannesburg, where they had three children.
After her transition into married life and finding stable employment in 2010, the stalwart maintains she has seen a notable change in female sporting participation in her time at the university.
“I did not see women’s sport much back then; there were no opportunities,” said Mudau. “But recent years have proven that women can succeed at male-dominated sports, including boxing, cricket, football, and rugby. “I wish to see women in sport winning more trophies the same way that Banyana Banyana won the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) recently.
Mudau said she enjoys meeting and working with people from different walks of life. She went on to share some of the challenges she faced, which included putting in extra hours when the Wits Sport Conference Centre experienced back-to-back bookings.
Furthermore, she expressed her gratitude for the individuals around her. “We are a family; the staff are friendly and always willing to lend a hand when we need assistance,” she said, noting several challenges within her line of work. “We put in extra hours when there are many bookings. Despite this, we work as a team – to each of our strengths. This makes things easier and more efficient. “
With Women’s Month in full swing, Mudau, a football enthusiast at heart , appreciates the sport for the discipline and teamwork that it promotes. Mam Taka paid homage to all women, saying: “There are many opportunities for women now. It is our time. We must not look down on ourselves. Instead, we must be confident in reaching our goals. Banyana Banyana, who have done incredibly well, are an example of this. We must believe in ourselves and work together. Once we do that, everything will fall into place.”
“What I love about being a woman is that women are nurturers. We bring softness and beauty into the world. “Being featured in this women’s month special `feels great and I am grateful for the opportunity.”
Takalani Mudau - “Mam’ Taka”