André Van den Heever
The manager of the GIB workshop in Patensie, is the experienced diesel mechanic, André van den Heever.
André joined the team of four in March of this year. He and his wife, Susan, moved to Patensie from Kuruman two years ago when they both started working at Endulini pack house. Susan still works there in the transport admin office.
“We love our new town. It is beautiful and the sea is just around the corner,” he says. André was born in Springbok and went to Namakwaland Technical High School. He started working as a fitter assistant at Blackmountain mine in Agenys and qualified as diesel mechanic. He worked in Springbok and then worked for Murray & Roberts in Groblersdal at a platinum mine. After that he worked at the Wessels mine in Kuruman and then moved to Patensie in 2015.
Their two children, Su-Mari (gr. 6) and JD (gr. 3) are in Laerskool Gamtoosvallei in Patensie and André says they have adjusted well.
“I enjoy my work very much. I love working in the team and everyone is very friendly,” he says.
Except for the general service and repair of the GIB fleet, like tractors, bakkies, trucks and the “Spinnekop”, it is also their responsibility to service and repair the automatic and mechanical water sluices in the irrigation canal. André’s favourite part is working with the trucks. “I enjoy it to tackle a project and finish it successfully.”
Die man aan stuur van sake by die Gamtoosbesproeiingsraad se werkswinkel, is die gesoute dieselwerktuigkundige, André van den Heever.
André het Januarie vanjaar by die span aangesluit. Die Namakwalander is mal oor die omgewing en sê hy en sy gesin het sommer maklik aangepas toe hulle so twee jaar gelede van Kuruman na Patensie toe getrek het. Hy het as ‘n dieselwerktuigkunige by `n myn gewerk.
“Dit is ‘n baie mooi omgewing en lekker naby die see. Ons was bietjie moeg vir al die mynstof,”sê André. Hy is in Springbok gebore en was op Hoër Tegniese skool Namakwaland. Hy het begin werk as fitter assistent by die Blackmountain myn op Agenys en toe gekwalifiseer as dieselwerktuigkundige. Hy het op Springbok gewerk waarna hy diens aanvaar het by Murray & Roberts op Groblersdal. Hy is daarna verplaas na Wessels myn op Kuruman voor hy in 2015 Patensie toe getrek het en by Endulini begin werk het.
Sy vrou, Susan, oorspronklik van Marchand naby Augrabies, werk steeds by Endulini se transport administrasie afdeling. Hulle dogter, Su-Mari is in gr.6 en JD, hul seun, in gr.3 by Laerskool Gamtoosvallei.
“Ek geniet die werk by die GBR baie. Ek werk met ‘n lekker span en almal is vriendelik,”sê André. Behalwe die algemene herstel en diens van die GBR se voertuie, onder andere trekker, trokke, bakkies en die “spinnekop”, is hulle ook verantwoordelik vir die diens en herstel van die outomatiese en meganiese sluise. André se gunsteling deel van sy werk is om aan die trokke te werk. “Die lekkerste is vir my om ‘n taak aan te pak en dan met sukses te voltooi.”