MLM Back-to-School Campaign in full swing

Jane Furse

The Mayor of Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality (MLM), Cllr Merah Masekwele Mahlase, has launched #SekoloWayaWaya2024 Campaign at Ngwanatshwane Secondary School in Mamone Village and Molepane Secondary School in Molepane Village outside Jane Furse.

The campaign was launched recently during the mayor’s ongoing Back-to-School visits set to re-enforce the municipality’s commitment of supporting educational programmes, with the aim to produce and retain high scarce skills in the municipality.

According to the municipality, the schools visit follows the announcement of the 2023 provincial pass rate of 79.5% by the Limpopo MEC of Education, Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya, at the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Limpopo Provincial Awards held at the Ranch Resort in Polokwane.

Mahlase was pleased to witness that two schools from the jurisdiction of the municipality received recognition at the provincial level, for producing learners with quality and outstanding matric results.

One of the pupils, Allan Sego, from Rantobeng High in Lobethal Circuit, received an award for acing his Mathematical Literacy with a distinction obtaining 289 marks and in total, achieving level 7 in all his subjects.

Another genius learner from Mphegolle Secondary school, under Lepelle-6 Circuit, was awarded for passing his Mathematics with distinction obtaining 300/300.

Ngwanatshwane and Molepane Schools are the only two secondary schools in Mmashadi and Ngwaritsi circuit respectively that performed exceptionally with an achievement of 100% pass rate.

Five former Makhuduthamaga bursary beneficiaries, who have completed their university qualifications, were invited by the mayor to share their educational journey and experience, as well as how relieving it was after being awarded a financial support from the municipality.

Two of these former bursary-holders are now working as finance interns and another two are permanently employed by the municipality.

Mmaphasoane Elsina Ntjana, from Ga-Moloi Village in MLM Ward 10, is one of the beneficiaries who was awarded a bursary in 2018 after completing her grade 12 with distinctions at Matshumane Secondary School in 2016.

She studied civil engineering at Tshwane University of Technology and now works as a qualified engineer at the Makhuduthamaga Municipality under Infrastructure department’s Project Management Unit.

Another living testimony of how Makhuduthamaga bursary changes lives of ordinary citizens, is Joel Makgetlaneng from Ga-Mampane in MLM Ward 31.

Makgetlaneng is a former student of Sepheu Moleke Secondary School and a B-Com Accounting graduate from the University of Mpumalanga who is also employed as Budget and Treasury Department Admin Assistant. 

The mayor and a team of councillors, as well as ward committee members visited another group of public schools with a 100% pass rate, namely, Molebeledi Secondary in Lobethal Circuit, Lewalemolomo Secondary and Mmakopi Secondary under Masemola Circuit.

During the visits, Mayor Mahlase donated calculators to grade 12 maths and science leaners in five schools.

She furthered made a commitment that the municipality will donate school uniform for 10 leaners at Ngwanatshwane Secondary and a pair of school shoes to one leaner at Molebeledi Secondary School after identifying a need.

Thomas Mashabela, MLM Spokesperson, said the Back-to-School programme is expected to continue in the coming weeks to cover underperforming schools and other clusters of the municipality.

“The council has allocated over 3 million rand in the 2023/2024 financial year to support young people who produced quality results and whose families cannot afford to pay tertiary fees for their children. Eighteen students from various institutions across the nation are benefiting from this bursary funding,” explained Mashabela.

He said selection and awarding of deserving candidates will be done in compliance with the bursary policy of council to apply transparency, fairness and consideration of all steps and requirements before a final selection.

“The committee will visit households of all selected potential bursars to verify their condition and their family background,” concluded Mashabela.