Sodlulashe-Mwenze needs no introduction, she is one of the most powerful women in the construction industry in the Province, no, make that the country. For the Allice, Eastern Cape born mother for two and grandmother of five, the love for construction started in 2014 when she helped two local boys from Palm Springs near Evaton rebuild their family house after it burned down. A former resident of Palm Springs, she now resides in
Vanderbijlpark. Having been the Chair of the Gauteng South African Women in Construction (SAWIC) for a number of years has taught her resilience and patience; she handed in the baton last December. Sodlulashe-Mwenze is still involved with SAWIC as one of the five women who run their
own construction companies. She is also the Director of Sikies Transport and Projects. Sodlulashe-Mwenze’s company is currently building multiple housing units in Olievenhoutbosch, Pretoria. Although she has received recognition from the Sedibeng District Municipality and its surrounding municipalities and has been on numerous occasions asked to mentor local women in construction, she is worried that local people do not get business from the local government hence they seek greener pastures outside the region, leaving with their much needed skills and sometimes finances.
“I do not want to lie, the offices of speakers in the Sedibeng District Municipality and the Emfuleni Local Municipality have recognised the work that I do but there is something that worries me. What worries me is that we apply and comply for tenders in these municipalities but yet we are overlooked
as women and local companies, where should we go for work?,” she asks.
Sodlulashe-Mwenze has many awards on her walls and cabinet such as the recognition of Sokhulumi from the Gauteng province, the Govan Mbeki Awards (national and provincial) and the Gauteng SAWIC Human Settlement Awards (best province) just to mention but a few.
She was ‘part and parcel’ of the building of Palm Springs Mall and has also served in the Gauteng Legislature, hence she freely says that the government must implement the policies of the ruling party accordingly.
During her tenure as SAWIC Gauteng Chairperson, Sodlulashe-Mwenze empowered eighteen women cooperatives from this region. Sodlulashe-Mwenze is passionate when it comes to issues of women and women abuse in particular. “Women should start standing up for one another and not look at each other as if they are enemies.
“We must understand that we must start empowering one another and also take note that the same as fingers on our hands, we will never be equal but we must always complement one another.” On the scourge of abuse in the country Sodlulashe-Mwenze says that young women should start dressing accordingly and respect their bodies, but in the same note men should know that women have rights in the democratic South Africa.
“Men have anger that they need to take control and get hold of but women should also know that not all men are killers or are abusive. They should know that men are the heads of the family and women are the neck.
“In the same way that the human body functions, there should be co-ordination between the two.” Sodlulashe-Mwenze believes that religious subjects
should be brought back to schools so that the learners can be disciplined and follow the right path. “Whatever their chosen religion, the government must bring back religious subjects in schools and all these stabbings and killings in schools will stop.”
In parting Sodlulashe-Mwenze goes back to the subject of women abuse and says, “No means No, and partners should know when it is over, they should know when to part. It is not the end of the world when love is no longer there between two people.”
