“Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens Me”
Zezam Gantsho grew up in Mthatha and Misty Mount in the OR Tambo region, known for high levels of unemployment and extreme poverty. Her dream was to change the living conditions for herself and her family.
These aspirations have been key drivers for her to strive for a better life, not only for her but also for her community, especially the women that were subjected to oppressive traditional laws and abuse.
Gantsho holds a B-tech degree in Quantity Surveying from Nelson Mandela University (NMU) and an Advanced Project Management post-graduate certificate for built environment practitioners.
She is currently doing research on the Quantity Surveyor professional’s competencies in the Eastern Cape Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (ECDPW&I) for completing her MSc. in construction management.
“I am a Quantity Surveyor under the buildings portfolio at Head Office. Quantity Surveyors add value, primarily to the financial and contractual management of construction projects at the preconstruction, construction, and post-construction stages.
They contribute to the overall construction project
“Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens Me” performance by acquiring, developing, and deploying appropriate competencies. Currently, I have been tasked to coordinate the disaster projects for the Department of Education”, said Gantsho. What she loves most about her job is achieving a functional and efficient facility in a project within the available budget. She believes that ethical leadership is one of the basic principles in establishing solid foundations for building our society, communities, and our country.
She dreams and has a vision of pioneering practical concepts that would change the way young people think when it comes to their livelihoods, a dream to instil self-sustenance and values of patriotism in communities.
Gantsho said that leadership opportunities in the unit she works for are the biggest challenge facing women in the workplace. “Naturally a man would gravitate towards other male counterparts for assistance and unintentionally end up transferring skills to their male counterparts. Therefore, this has an influence on the development and growth of women within our unit because there is no equal distribution of skills”, added Gantsho
Her fondest memory in the department was when she acquired a professional registration in 2020 through the initiatives that the department had established in developing capacity within.
