GM appoints new environmental head

Ncedisa Mzuzu

Identified as a rising young leader within General Motors Company, Mzuzu, a qualified environmental engineer, has taken on the challenge to manage environmental activities within GM Operations across South Africa, East Africa and North Africa.

East London-born Mzuzu said environmental legislation was a relatively new field in Africa, and a constantly changing one requiring diverse skills, making her new role a great new challenge.

"My role is to generate an understanding of Africa as one continent, where we have an integrated and consistent environmental management system that is adaptable to diverse and constantly changing legislation," Mzuzu said.

Diverse skills

"Environmental management brings together people with diverse skills in systems, compliance, engineering, and I hope to give the environmental engineers in the various facilities the opportunity to network and learn from each other. By harnessing the skills and strengths that we have across the continent, I would like to see us drive continuous improvement and strengthen overall compliance."

Mzuzu joined GM in 2008 as environmental engineer for the Struandale plant in Port Elizabeth and was promoted in August 2013 to World Facilities Group lead for South Africa, responsible for environmental management as well as the essential services to keep production lines running and ensure sustainable operations. These included utilities, capital projects, maintenance, fire safety, fleet/motorised equipment, housekeeping and industrial cleaning.

She widened her exposure to environmental legislation on the continent through an assignment to provide environmental engineering support to GM East Africa in 2011, where she successfully helped her counterparts at the Kenya plant to prepare for a company environmental audit in which they received a clean bill of health.