After 30 years of being part of the Tanda Tula family, the time has come to say goodbye to Girly Mathebula, one of our beloved kitchen team members. Girly is going to retire from cooking delicious meals for all our guests and go home to be with family, tend her vegetable patch and enjoy some well-earned rest.
Girly was one of the first ladies to join our Adult Literacy classes, over the years she was a diligent student and went from not being able to so much as write her name when she started to reading short stories. We are incredibly proud of this wonderful woman and all she has achieved with us over the years, she has grown endlessly, and we will miss her terribly.
Recently, we had a belated Christmas celebration where we all managed to say our goodbyes to this gentle lady. What we did not expect was a beautifully presented speech that Girly had prepared herself. By the time she was finished there was not a dry eye among us, her humble approach and kind words touched every single member of the Tanda Tula team:
“First and foremost, I would like to greet you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I have mixed emotions leaving this family. I say family because you all are truly like a family to me.
Plus, or minus 30 years have lapsed full of events, memories, emotions, and accomplishments. I was very fortunate to have joined this family in 1992.
I started as a scullery. Today, it gives me immense pleasure to say that Tanda Tula has taught me a lot. It is important to me to thank the Scott, Jackson, and Mathebula families. Thank you for your inspiration and leadership.
To Chef Ryan, thank you for your daily leadership and insights. You were patient with me regardless of the fact that I am uneducated. I am not leaving anyone out, to all my colleagues thank you for your willingness to step in when I could not quite manage. My appreciation goes to all departments.
Thank you all.”
Farewell and good luck Girly, you are always welcome to come and visit us, we will miss you, but know your time to enjoy yourself has come.
