Durban -It has been 21 years since President Nelson Mandela opened Durban’s International Convention Centre.
And six members of staff who were there at the beginning and the chief executive, Lindiwe Rakharebe, celebrated their milestone 21st anniversary recently by tucking into a special cake, made in the kitchen supervised by executive chef John Moatshe, one of the early pioneers, who was a sous chef back in 1997.
On Tuesday, staff will have a small in-house celebration, while the big event - the 21st anniversary gala evening - will be on October 27.
“We are hoping to get all the previous four chief executives and the industry partners who have played an important role in our journey,” said Scott Langley, marketing, sales and events director yesterday.
The ICC, which has hosted some of the world’s most important and influential events, has a string of awards to its credit and has made it into the Guinness World Records.
It was eight years ago when staff and students from various local hotel schools made the longest banana bread, which was 1198m long and was placed around the ICC complex.
Chef John, as he is known, was awarded the Chaine des Rotisseurs (an international association of gastronomy) Brass Plaque/Blazon for maintaining an outstanding level of cuisine, hospitality and service.
Langley told how the centre became ISO 2200 certified in 2012, meaning it “aspires to the highest international level of food safety”.
Moatshe recalled cooking diverse cuisine for a wide range of personalities including former presidents Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, Queen Elizabeth II, King Goodwill Zwelithini, Sir Elton John and Grammy-award winning musician Hugh Masekela.
The opening vegetarian dish at the ICC was a classic beans bunny chow, described as “a reflection of true Durban hospitality.”
Praising the six long-serving staffers, Rakharebe said the ICC owed them a debt of gratitude.
“We would not be where we are without them.
“Their institutional knowledge is priceless and their commitment to developing other people,” she said.