Kungase kungazwakali njengomsebenzi obabazekayo, kepha njengoNjiniyela weDolobha laseThekwini, phecelezi i-Durban’s City Engineer iminyaka engu-16, uDon Macleod, wanikela kakhulu edolobheni lethu kunalokho ongakucabanga! UDon wachitha iminyaka eminingi yokusebenza kwakhe egxile ukucutshungulwa kwendle, futhi wayebhekele ukwakhiwa kwezikhungo zokuqala zokukhucululwa kwendle eThekwini. Eminyakeni edlule uDon waphinde waqinisekisa ukuthi izinhlelo zokukhucululwa kwendle ziyafakwa emiphakathini empofu.
Impilo yakhe ekuqaleni
UDon MacLeod wazalwa ngoJanuwari 1928 eGoli wakhulela eKimberley, lapho angena khona esikoleni. Ubeyisifundiswa esivelele futhi weqa iminyaka esesikoleni, wenza umatikuletsheni eneminyaka engu-16 nje kuphela. Wathola o-A abayisithupha kanye no-B oyedwa. U-B kwaba oweGeography, aqala ukuyifunda kumatikuletsheni.Wabe eseya e-Natal University (manje eyiNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natali) wafundela ubunjiniyela wathola iziqu zakhe eneminyaka engu-19 (iziqu zeminyaka emine).
UDon Macleod nguyena kuphela umuntu obezokhethwa njengoMongameli we-South African Institution of Engineering ne-Southern African Institution of Municipal Engineering. Wethule amaphepha amaningi ezingqungqutheleni, zombili zasekhaya nezamazwe omhlaba – ikakhulukazi emsebenzini wakhe wokuthuthwa kwendle ngaphansi kolwandle. Nguyena owahlela futhi wakha indlela yokuqala yokuhambisa indle eThekwini.
Impilo eThekwini
UDon Macleod ujoyine i-Durban Corporation wasebenza kuhulumeni kamasipala impilo yakhe yonke. Wayeka ukusebenza ngawo-1960 ukuze ajoyine okwakubizwa ngokuthi i-Department of Special Works ngesivumelwano. Lapho wayebhekele ukuhlelwa nokwakhiwa kwemisebenzi yokuqala yokukhucululwa kwendle yaseThekwini (kwakungakaze kube khona ngaphambi kwalokho futhi indle yayingalungiswa ngendlela efanele kuze kube yileso sikhathi) Wabona nezindawo eziningi zaseThekwini zithola ukuxhuma kwendle okokuqala futhi zisusa amathangi ezikhukhula. Cishe iminyaka engu-16 wayengu-City Engineer waseThekwini, waze wathatha umhlalaphansi ngo-1992.
Abantu basabheka umthelela ayenawo kwezobunjiniyela bomasipala eNingizimu Afrika, ikakhulukazi ezihlobene nokuqeqeshwa konjiniyela abasebasha, ubungcweti bakhe nolwazi lwakhe lobungoti maqondana nokuphathwa nokuthuthwa kwendle. Ubuye futhi wanikela kakhulu kulo msebenzi njengelungu loMkhandlu futhi kamuva waba nguMongameli wezikhungo ezimbili ezibalulwe ngenhla. Ifa lakhe ngokushesha lingabonakala ngendodana yakhe uNeil MacLeod owaba ngunjiniyela wenothi futhi kamuva waba yi-Head for the Water & Sanitation Unit in eThekwini Municipality.
UDon Macleod uchithe iminyaka yakhe yokugcina ehlala nonkosikazi wakhe endaweni yomhlalaphansi e-Durban North, ngaphambi kokudlula emhlabeni ngo-2017.