Media Room

14 February 2017 - In honoring academic excellence and improving access to higher education, Emfuleni Local Municipality Executive Mayor Councillor Mahole Simon Mofokeng presented awards to students from the Matric Class of 2016.

The awards ceremony was held at the Three Rivers Lodge in Vereeniging on Thursday, on the sidelines of a six-day Extended Mayoral Committee Meeting convened by the Executive Mayor.

Accompanied by the Chief Whip of Emfuleni Local Municipality, Christinah Sale and Members of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development [Penny Sengoatsi], Public Safety [Pius Maseko], Corporate Services [Busi Mncube] and Arts and Culture [Edwin Kele], Mayor Mofokeng awarded bursaries to some students while others received laptops and tablets to help them in their studies at their various Institutions of Higher Learning.

Speaking at the hand-over event, Mayor Mofokeng thanked the unsung heroes, the parents and educational NGOs such as the Bophelong and the Lesedi Tutorial Projects whose volunteering tutors worked tirelessly behind the scenes to offer moral and academic support to dozens of students throughout the year.

Mayor Mofokeng also handed merit certificates to students for their hard-work and great results. “We are gathered here to honour the hard-working learners from the Matric Class of 2016 – the shining stars who hit the books when their peers hit the streets. Today, we honour the young men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice of depriving themselves of sleep to allow for a few more hours of study time. Today, we pay our respects and clap our hands in salute of your perseverance, dedication and commitment – because I know it was never easy,” said the Executive Mayor.

One of the students, Salamina Makhene (18), who was a 2016 matriculant at the Ramosukula Secondary School thanked Mayor Mofokeng for the awards. “I’m now studying Communications at the North-West University Vaal Campus and this award will go a long way in motivating me in my studies going forward,” she said.

The 11 students who received awards are: Janke Westraadt [Three Rivers High], Danny Conlong [Hoerskool Overvaal], Cherne Van Der Merwe and Ruan Human [Vereeniging Gymnasium], Nikhar Maharaj [Roshnee Secondary], Naazly Clark [Rus-ter-vaal High], Salaminah Makhene [Ramosukula Secondary], Mduduzi Gama and Japie Nqamlane [Kgokare Secondary], Girly Mofokeng [Mohloli Secondary] and Nthabiseng Molefe [Suiderlig High].

The Executive Mayor of Emfuleni Local Municipality Councillor Mahole Simon Mofokeng (seated, center) is flanked by the Chief Whip Christina Sale (standing center), Municipal Manager (standing, left), Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development Penny Sengoatsi (standing, second from right) , the new Sedibeng East District Director, Mme Mosibuli Makhubela (standing, fourth from right), some of the top achievers of ‘Class of 2016” and NGO volunteers and awards recipients during the awards ceremony.

ISSUED BY:
Lebo Mofokeng 
Mayoral Spokesperson 
079 510 7324 / 016 950 5488
lebo@emfuleni.gov.za