By Nangamso Mabindla

When Sy Gourrah, Buffalo City's chief electrical engineer, was growing up in Lady Frere in the Transkei, her parents, who were both teachers, wanted her to study medicine and become a doctor.

But Gourrah had other ambitions. After matriculating from Mount Arthur Girls' High School, Gourrah decided she would not follow her parent's advice and returned instead to the place of her birth, India, to further her studies.

And the course she decided to follow was in the male-dominated field of engineering.

"A South African matric was not recognised in India, so I had to do a two-year pre-degree course at the Mahatma Gandhi University," she said. Once that was out of the way, Gourrah began a BSc electrical and electronics degree at Mangalore University, in the Manipal Institute of Technology. She was only one of four women students in the faculty.

The young woman has wide experience in her chosen field. "After graduating, I returned to South Africa, where I started work as a junior engineer with engineering consultants, Ballenden & Rob." She went on to become assistant to the electrical engineer in King William's Town before moving to East London to work as the Assistant City Electrical Engineer, Planning and Design.

Earlier this month, 32-year-old Gourrah became the first woman and the youngest person to be appointed as City Engineer for a South African city.

The softly spoken Gourrah attributes much of her success to her family and friends who believe in her capabilities. "My parents, who are still in Lady Frere, my loving husband and my friends have all been pillars of strength through both the good and bad times."

Gourrah says it is important to have people you trust alongside you at all times. She refers to the electrical engineering department's staff members, who encouraged her to apply for the position.

"They said they would support me," she says, adding that she greatly appreciated their backing.

With her new appointment come more responsibilities, but Gourrah says she intends to "take things as they come".

Gourrah now wants to concentrate on the job at hand, which includes Distribution of Supply to consumers, Maintenance of the network, Management of the mechanical and fleet services and the Operation and planning of the network.