By VISHAL NAIDOO and MARTIN JONES
Kenneth Ndlebe is a mechanic that has been working for Lens Auto for over thirty years and shows no signs of stopping!
The perfect mechanic is someone that is passionate, efficient in their work and whose work reflects precision with long lasting results. Ndlebe embodies the perfect mechanic in every aspect imaginable and does so seamlessly.
Time spent with Ndlebe was limited, but well spent. Upon meeting Ndlebe anyone could tell by his oil stained hands that his day had to be intense, filled with tiresome jobs. He is soft spoken and exudes hard work and dedication and even after a long day, we were greeted with warm smile.
With 30 years’ experience, there is no job that challenges Ndlebe. He is a passionate mechanic who finds joy and pleasure in his field whose only challenge is time. When asked if anything surprises him, Ndlebe replied with a string of confident nos. When asked about whether he gets a job that he struggles with, he smiled and said “no no, sometimes people want their car now, or they need their car for something but other than that no.” It is clear that Ndlebe is a master of his craft. He finds a lot of motivation in teamwork. When asked about what drives and motivates him, he did not hesitate to mention his team and how efficiently they work together.
You would think anyone would retire or move on to something else after 30 years, but not Ndlebe whose passion appears to burn hotter than any of his blowtorches. Ndlebe is every boss’ dream–consistent in his work and hungry for more. We asked Ndlebe whether he ever thought of retirement and he just smiled with another strong no.
Ndlebe does not hesitate to mention the love he has for his job and for the people he works with.
