Ezekiel won’t back down as he shines at Strata

In the words of the well-known Tom Petty track “I won’t back down”, the same can be said of Ezekiel Notwane, who was recently promoted to Operations Supervisor at Strata Mining Services.

Ezekiel’s relationship with his team began many years ago at their previous company of employment, where he was an ADT operator and was unfortunate to experience being demoted to the wash bay seven years ago. Rather than let the situation get the better of him, this humbling experience became a life lesson for Ezekiel who found strength in his misfortune and became more determined than ever to do better at his job.

“It was a difficult time for me but I prayed more, I persevered and I remained patient and just kept going,” said Ezekiel. “One of the biggest lessons for me was knowing that there are no shortcuts to doing a great job – if you want to do something properly then you need to go about it carefully.”

Ezekiel’s recent promotion to that of Operations Supervisor is the highlight of his career so far and proves to himself and to those around him that hard work certainly pays off.

“The promotion means so much to me. There will be new challenges that I need to rise above, and I am proud to be part of what makes Strata a successful company. Strata’s vision is what has continued to inspire me to be where I am today,” he said. “I look forward to bringing new opportunities to Strata and to giving my best in my new position.”

Ezekiel was acknowledged by his peers for Team Player of the Year during the 2021 year-end function where awards were handed out to the staff for certain achievements. In his youth, Ezekiel was raised in the rural area of Mahikeng by his single mother, who passed away when he was 16. Being forced to “man up”, he never looked back and believed in himself and that he could achieve what he dreamed of if he put his mind to it, no matter what the circumstances are. He now has one son and plans to marry in the future. He is also Mamelodi Sundown’s fan. 

Strata’s Managing Director Chrisna Basson says, “Ezekiel has earned his promotion by putting in the hard yards and it has been a pleasure to witness his growth within the company. The quality of his work has lifted him and he is the epitome of our virtues adopted from Patrick Lencioni’s principles of “Humble, Hungry and Smart”, which has strengthened people in our team to be motivated by performance and accountability.”

“There ain’t no easy way out, Hey I will stand my ground, And I won’t back down.” – Tom Petty