By Phiwa Sikhondze
Ubombo Sugar Limited, the oldest Sugar mill in Eswatini, held its annual Long Service Awards ceremony yesterday, to recognize and celebrate its employees who have served the company for 25 years or more.
The ceremony, which was attended by dignitaries, union partners, business associates, community members, and family members of the employees, honoured 32 outstanding employees who contributed to the growth and success of the company.
The Managing Director (MD) of Ubombo Sugar Limited, Muzi Siyaya, thanked the long-serving employees for their loyalty, honesty, hard work, commitment, and dedication over the years. He said that they have been “worthy role models” and “the lifeblood of Ubombo Sugar’s success”.
He also urged all the employees to adopt a lifelong learning approach and to keep their skills updated in the fast-changing and challenging work environment. He said that the long-serving employees have “ably struck a workable balance between education and experience” and have “redefined themselves and improved their skills in line with the changing work environment and technological advances”.
He further described the employees as the pillars of the progress of Ubombo Sugar.
“They are the lifeblood of Ubombo Sugar’s success and remain core to our success in executing our long-term strategy. They have acquired the requisite knowledge, concepts and theories at play through education and training. Worth emphasizing though, is that they have remained true to the Ubombo Sugar ethos of leaning towards on-the-job-learning,” he said.
He also reminded the audience of the Global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which is observed from 25 November to 10 December, and called for everyone to stop the killing, maiming and abuse of women and girls and all forms of violence by one person on another.
Speaking on behalf of the awarded employees, Jabulani Hlatshwako, the Learning and Development Specialist at Ubombo Sugar, expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the incredible journey of the past 25 years with the company.
He said that it has been a privilege to contribute to the company while developing personally and professionally.
Hlatshwako praised the leadership and commitment of the Managing Director and his executive team, for fostering a positive and empowering work environment. He said that they have played a pivotal role in making the quarter-century milestone possible for them.
“Your leadership and commitment MD and your Exco team, to fostering a positive and empowering work environment have played a pivotal role in making this quarter-century milestone possible for us. We are grateful for the opportunities provided, the challenges that have helped us grow, and the unwavering support from the entire workforce and the management team, Looking back on where we come from, we are proud to have been part of a company that values its employees and invests in their continuous development,” he said. He also wished that all the employees who have not yet reached this milestone, live to see this day in the future. He said that this moment is very special for them and their families who have joined them to celebrate this event. He thanked the company for honouring them in this fashion and for investing in their continuous development.