Christo Jantjies
Born and bred in Patensie, Christo has been working at the Gamtoos Irrigation Board for the past nine years as a supervisory water control officer. But he started his career as a jack-of-all-trades, especially driving tractors and working with other machinery on a local citrus farm.
Some years ago, Christo says, he “got a wake-up call” about his future security working as a farm labourer. It was then that he decided that he had to ensure a future for himself and his family, which inspired him to find work at GIB.
His work as a supervisor means that he is in charge of a group of water control officers whose responsibility it is to ensure that water for irrigation and consumption reaches the farmers in the area, the local municipality, and as far as Loerie. He obviously shares their concern about the low dam levels, but is excited and hopeful about the recent rains that have resulted in a slight increase in these levels.
“Christo is an eager and committed supervisor,” says GIB CEO Rienette Colesky. “There is little that escapes his attention and we can always count on him to be aware of abnormalities in his day-to-day tasks.”
Christo is married to Louise, and they have three children: Elestine, Zander, and Luciano, who are all still at school. He is a man for whom family is very important, and weekends will see them visiting his in-laws or at home watching television.
Although employees are currently able to rent their accommodation from GIB, it is his ambition in the near future to own his own home in the area, so that he can retire close to his extended family.
Christo is gebore en getoë in Patensie. Hy werk nou al nege jaar as ’n toesighouende waterbeheerbeampte vir die Gamtoos-Besproeiingsraad, maar vroeër jare het hy as ’n “Jan-van-alles” op ’n sitrusplaas gewerk. Hy het veral trekkers bestuur en met die ander masjienerie gewerk.
Hy vertel dat hy ’n paar jaar gelede ’n wekroep gekry het oor sy toekomssekuriteit as ’n plaaswerker. Dit was toe dat hy besluit het om ’n toekoms vir hom en sy familie te verseker en dit het hom geïnspireer om by Gamtoos-Besproeiingsraad te kom werk.
Sy werk as ’n voorman beteken dat hy toesig hou oor ’n groep waterbeheerbeamptes wie se verantwoordelikheid dit is om te verseker dat die water vir besproeiing en verbruik die boere in die omgewing en die plaaslike munisipaliteit bereik, tot sover as in Loerie. Natuurlik deel hy in die kommer oor die lae watervlak van die dam, maar hy is opgewonde en hoopvol oor die onlangse reën wat gesorg het dat die damvlak ’n bietjie gestyg het.
“Christo is ’n ywerige en toegewyde toesighouer, “ sê GIB se Hoof-uitvoerendebeampte, Rienette Colesky. “Daar is min wat hy nie raaksien nie en ons kan op hom staatmaak om bewus te wees van onreëlmatighede in sy daaglikse take.”
Christo is met Louise getroud en hulle het drie kinders: Elestine, Zander en Luciano wat al drie nog op skool is. Sy familie is vir hom baie belangrik en naweke sal hulle dikwels by sy skoonouers kuier of sommer net saam televisie kyk.
Al is dit tans die gebruik dat werknemers hulle verblyf by GIB huur, is dit sy wens om in die nabye toekoms sy eie huis in die omgewing te besit, sodat hy eendag kan aftree naby sy uitgebreide familie.