Meet South Africa’s first black female navy commander Zimasa Mabela’s.
Mabela says she only saw the sea for the first time when she was 18.
As a girl in the village of Lady Frere, Zimasa Mabela’s life revolved around school and fetching firewood and water from the river.
“I guess, having read books and watched movies, it was not something to be shocked by and say: ‘so much water!’” the 38-year-old told News24 aboard her vessel, the SAS Umhloti.
She told News24 that she was never scared of water since she grew up where there were swimming pools.
It was the place to be “for fun and to relax” especially on hot Eastern Cape days, although their parents never approved.
Mabela has been commander of the vessel docked at the Simon’s Town base for just over a month.
She heard about the navy from her friends and attended a presentation while studying a BsC in education at university.
She decided not to finish her degree and joined the navy in 1999, working her way up the ranks.
While she still felt like she was finding her feet in the new position, Mabela said she was enjoying everything coming her way and was prepared to ask for help where necessary.
She narrates of how she got a lot of criticism from the general public. This though did not stop her from pursuing what she wanted.
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