At the 2017 Long Service Awards of the University of Johannesburg (UJ), four staff members – Mr Pieter Gouws, Mr Klaas Matsemela, Mr Zabhule Mkhanya, Mr Sibangani Shange – were each celebrated for their 40 years of service. The four gentlemen were part of the total 308 staff members who received Long Service Certificates at a function on Tuesday, 21 November 2017.

Annually, the University celebrates its staff members who have served for more than 10 years. These employees receive a certificate of long service at a ceremony with their loved ones present. A financial token of appreciation is also paid to the employees to thank them for their loyalty and hard-work. This year, two of the University’s Executive Leadership Group members, Prof Andre Swart and Prof Daneel van Lill, celebrated 30 and 10 years, respectively.

Last year, Professor Sebastiaan “Basie” von Solms, was the longest serving UJ employee – with four and a half decades (45 years) of Information Technology (IT) innovation. The celebrated staff members have worked at UJ for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years.