MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Dick Soundrajan ‘Superman’ Naidoo will trade in his superhero cape for the retired life at the end of October.

If you’re not familiar with his name, you’ll at least be familiar with his position: director of infrastructure services at the Mossel Bay Municipality.

Naidoo started his municipal career at the KwaDukuza Local Municipality in his home town, Stanger, KZN. Here he progressed through the ranks and eventually became director of electrical services.

Then he moved to Mossel Bay, where he began his more-than-two-decades-long journey with the municipality in December 2004 when he assumed the role of head of electrical services. In February 2007, he became the director of electrical services. In 2010, the electrical and civil services amalgamated to form the technical services directorate, and later this name was changed to what residents today know as infrastructure services - all while Superman was steering the ship, or rather, patrolling the skies.

The nickname ‘Superman’ has come with Naidoo for so long, he’s not 100% sure who gave it to him, but he has two suspects in mind: either the current municipal manager, Colin Puren, or the former director of corporate services, Edward Jantjies. “I think it started in 2010 or so when the amalgamation took place. They said you must be Superman to take over both these directorates. The MM has names for everybody, so I think it must have been either MM or Edward Jantjies,” he said with a laugh.

Why engineering?

Naidoo’s inspiration for becoming an electrical engineer came from growing up in an area in which there was a lack of basic services. He felt, then, that he should become an engineer so that when he grows up, he could ensure people had access to electricity.

Today, he ensures that and a whole lot more. 

Simply put, and among other things, as director of infrastructure, Naidoo has been responsible for electrical services, civil services (water and sanitation, project management, roads, transport and stormwater) and mechanical services (pump stations, telemetry, fleet management and desalination) for nearly two decades. 

In this time, he was involved extensively in various projects such as the desalination plant, the waste water reclamation plant at the Hartenbos Wastewater Treatment Works, the dewatering plants (which ensure that sludge is treated in such a way that it can be disposed of at landfill sites), the solar photovoltaic plant, the construction of additional high-voltage substations, projects to ensure that basic services like electricity, water and sewerage are provided to informal settlements, the construction of bulk pipelines between purification plants and reservoirs, and the telemetry system for the remote monitoring of substations, pump stations and plants - to name a few.

But how does one man do all of this?

“You can call me Superman, but I was able to perform well because of the support of exceptional staff, especially in infrastructure services, and I must say, the resources provided by Council.”

So what is a typical day in the life of Superman like?

Naidoo gets up at 04:00 in the morning and does meditation. “You have to, if you are working in this position. 

After my meditation, I will read for half an hour or so. Then I go for a walk at around 05:15 (even when it is still dark). I enjoy it, actually, with a searchlight on; it is so beautiful if you see the dew settling on especially aloes and stuff like that, it glows beautifully.”

And then, after getting himself ready, it’s off to the office. He typically arrives at 07:20, then it is on to emails and messages, advising on issues for his heads of department, attending to larger issues himself, going through meetings for the day, and, when he has the opportunity, driving out into the area and doing some inspections or attending to complaints. “I try to do this a few times per week.”

When the day (not the job) is done, Naidoo tries to leave just after 16:30, to go on another walk in the afternoon, and to have some family time.

Why retire early?

And it’s here that the main reason for his retirement comes into focus. It may sound like Naidoo follows standard office hours, but this job doesn’t start when he opens the office door and end when he shuts it behind him in the afternoon. Whether it’s phone calls or WhatsApp messages, they come through at all hours of the day and night, and require immediate attention.

“Everyone wants to know, if everything is under control and there’s good infrastructure, good people and good support, why early retirement?

“Because you do not switch off. That is my biggest problem. And you want to enjoy a better quality of life with your family. Because now I am a grandpa as well.” 

Family includes his pillar of support over the years, his wife, Cookie, their eldest daughter, Akashnie, and youngest, Renisha Schoonraad, and her husband, Albert, and of course, granddaughter Thalia.

“You leave your job and people are going to say: ‘This person was a very good manager,’ and this and that, but in terms of family, what legacies are you leaving? Were you there for the celebration or the get-together, or to eat ice cream with the granddaughter, you know? I have taken too much for granted. Life is short, now I have to spend quality time with my family.”

Naidoo says he’d like to spend more time gardening, hiking, walking on the beach and with his dog, Pilot. “This is what normal people should be doing!”

Find him on the beach

He has already started to live more in the moment. “Now, every weekend, I am on the beach with my shorts and T-shirt. So if people miss me or never see me anywhere, they can see me on the beach!” he says contentedly.

What’s important, Naidoo notes, is the fact that he is still going to be a ratepayer in this town and has no intentions to leave Mossel Bay at this stage. 

He also knows what he is leaving behind for the next director to find. “I feel comfortable. Whoever comes in here is not going to experience too much difficulty managing this department, because we have the plans and infrastructure in place to ensure that the directorate is effectively managed.”

The state of the directorate and it director’s passion and dedication were echoed the day his retirement and subsequent search for a replacement was announced during a council meeting in July. Naidoo’s praises were sung across political party lines by many a councillor and by the municipal manager on behalf of the administration. Everyone was sad to see him leave, thanked him for always being willing to assist, and have no doubts that he will be extremely difficult to replace. 

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