Captain Dennis Mqadi, a former SA Navy officer, has assumed duties as harbour master for the Port of Cape Town. The post had been vacant for several months following the sudden departure of Captain Ravi Naicker to pursue other interests. Like Naicker, Mqadi (41) served as harbour master at Richards Bay before being appointed to his present position. Born at Izingolweni near Port Shepstone on the Natal east coast, Mqadi completed his schooling and had a dream of completing a three-year diploma in electrical engineering, sadly not to be due to financial constraints. He joined the navy as a non-commissioned officer in Durban in 1991, was sent for officer training a year later and served until 1997, by which time he had attained the rank of lieutenant. Mqadi then joined Transnet as an assistant tugmaster in East London, was promoted to tugmaster and underwent four months of theoretical pilot training in Rotterdam before moving to Durban and obtaining his pilot’s licence. He served in the dual capacity of harbour master and head of operations in East London between 2004 and 2007, after which he was sent to Richards Bay as harbour master. Only 17 days into the Mother City posting when FTW caught up with him, Mqadi was not about to air his views on the port at this early stage but admits that all three postings hold a specific excitement of their own.
