Heathcliff Thomas will bid a final farewell to the City of Cape Town later this week \u2013 just one day shy of his 60th birthday<\/P>
The City of Cape Town\u2019s Traffic Service hosted a farewell event for its outgoing Chief, Heathcliff Thomas today.<\/P>
Thomas, who grew up in Silvertown, has been a Traffic Officer for 39 years \u2013 a job he pursued thanks to his admiration of traffic officers as a young man, and fueled by his television hero, Francis Poncherello of the hit series, CHIPS, about the Californian Highway Patrol.<\/P>
Among his many highlights since joining the Traffic Service in 1983, was being appointed Traffic Chief of the City of Tygerberg in 1997, completing his Master\u2019s degree, securing a part-time lecturing post the then-Peninsula Technikon (Pentech), now Cape Peninsula University of Technology in addition to his day job, and of course his \u2018eye in the sky\u2019 traffic reports featured on GoodHope FM.<\/P>
Thomas is excited about the future of the City\u2019s Traffic Service, and believes that it is in good hands.<\/P>
\u2018I want to thank each and every staff member for helping to build this Traffic Service into one that is recognised as a leader both nationally, and internationally. Furthermore, I want to encourage them to continue striving for their dreams, and to keep the flag flying high. Remain professional at all times, but also flexible and innovative – in other words embrace technology and change. Do not be afraid to ask questions, take the risk \u2013 he who doesn\u2019t gamble, can\u2019t win. Remember, there is absolutely nothing stopping you from progressing to the highest levels possible in this Traffic Service.\u2019<\/P>
While he is retiring from the Traffic Service, Thomas is not planning to rest on his laurels \u2013 he is heading to Academia to ply his trade there. And, when he is not in the classroom, he\u2019ll be spending time on the golf course with his son \u2013 despite his \u2018not so healthy\u2019 handicap.<\/P>
\u2018We have seen immense growth and investment in our Traffic Service over the years. Our staff have also had to contend with an ever-changing landscape and new challenges in tackling road safety. The list is exhaustive, and Chief Thomas played an integral role in getting us to where we are today. And, while we reflect on his role as Chief, it is appropriate to also acknowledge where he started and his rise through the ranks. He earned his stripes, and I hope that his story is one that will inspire a new generation of traffic officers.<\/P>
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\u2018There really are no words that can adequately describe the immense contribution that the Chief has not only made to the service, but also public safety. But we will be forever grateful, and commit ourselves to building on the very solid foundation that he has laid. The City thanks Chief Thomas for his service, and wishes him well on his new journey,\u2019 said the City\u2019s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.<\/P>
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Source: City Of Cape Town<\/P>
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Heathcliff Thomas will bid a final farewell to the City of Cape Town later this week \u2013 just one day shy of his 60th birthdayThe City of Cape Town\u2019s Traffic Service hosted a farewell event for its outgoing Chief, Heathcliff Thomas today.Thomas, who grew…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n