Woman of substance tackles poverty
Her goals and aspirations during her term as the chairperson of Sawic is to alleviate poverty through empowering more previously disadvantaged women.
Thembeka Mnisi Singwane, the provincial chairperson of South African Women in Construction (Sawic), is passionate about the development and empowerment of women.
She assumed her position in Sawic during the hit of pandemic in March 2020. She is a director of Lindolwazi Trading, which specialises in construction services for both the public and private sector. 
“My goals and aspirations during my term is to alleviate poverty through empowering more previously disadvantaged women. We will do this by making sure we produce highly competent women-owned companies, not only by advocating for them to get projects, but by making sure they are qualified and competent enough to do their job well,” she said.
READ : Department says community is benefiting from construction project
Mnisi-Singwane’s personal highlights include taking the brave step to resign from her eight-hour job in the corporate industry to pursue her own business. She relocated from her hometown, Brakpan, to Mbombela and started a funeral services in 2005. “Setting goals and having ambitions, determination and the drive to succeed in life are methods to success. One should always work towards achieving life goals and set out timeframes for them,” she said.
Mnisi-Singwane is married to a radio presenter, Ligwalagwala FM’s Sweet Mike. “My children and my family inspires me a lot. They give me a drive to want to do well and succeed in everything I do in life, to see women doing well in their fields of expertise and also to help lifting other people up in the process,” she said.
READ : Department of Education says contractor has construction project under control
She always had a passion for humanitarian work and supporting the vulnerable through various programmes, like youth community development projects and projects against gender-based violence.
“When I moved to Mpumalanga, I was introduced to Bettie’s Haven Children’s Home in Nelsville. I contributed a lot towards assisting the centre,” she said. She would like to see government supporting women-owned organisations such as Sawic through funding. “I would like government to intervene and ensure that the youth is considered for the empowerment development programmes with private stakeholders, mostly private companies, that have signed memoranda of understanding with the government,” she concluded.
