Education MEC Ishmael Kgetjepe Official sendoff of learners to Sweden
Good day
I am really delighted to be with you today for the special official sendoff of our three shining stars that have made us proud in the Annual South African Youth Water Prize Competition. It is indeed a special occasion for all of us here in Limpopo and the country at large for our learners have represented us well and are now en route to representing the country in Sweden. These learners have not just challenged themselves but also conquered and triumphed in the journey of self-discovery.
I am talking about our grade 10 learners who are here with us, Camilla Mashele, Hlengi Makhumbila and Edgar Nukeri all from Mopani District’s Matlhari High School in Shikwambani village, Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality. These learners hail from a no fee paying school and that says a lot about the community itself in terms of resources. Their participation in this competition dispels a myth that schools from previously disadvantaged communities cannot show their competitive edge when opportunities to do so present themselves. Today learners from such a community are proving such people and they have emerged as the top three learners to represent South Africa. The competition has undoubtedly triggered an area of interest in their learning and this is an area that would not have been discovered had they not taken part in this competition. It is against this background that we congratulate you once more and we are here to say your adventure and journey of self-discovery is just beginning.
We cannot overemphasize sufficiently the importance of water and you know what they say about water being life. We applaud and we will as a Department partakes in any efforts and initiatives that are aimed at involving our learners to know more about water preservation and its importance in our daily activities. We are living in a fast growing technological world and we cannot be left behind in as far as the latest water engineering methods and technology that will see us valuing and saving water more. We believe that our learners are nimble enough to learn these new technologies and are the ones who must take interest in these modern technologies.
We applaud the Department of Water and Sanitation and Lepelle Northern Water for this visionary initiative and to have figured out those learners in schools are perfectly placed to participate in this competition and ultimately pursue careers in water engineering and technology related fields.
We are aware that adventures of this nature have a tremendous impact on inculcating skills development, physical recreation, adventurous journey and the virtue of community service. We are also aware that you will as you continue in this journey acquire knowledge and skills to grow to be self-reliant, responsible and selfless. You will also make an impact in the classroom and school environment as you practice the values that you might learn in the activity. Your stories will one way or the other influence your peers in a positive way. This will largely benefit us as a department because we will have produced learners who are well equipped to be masters of their destinations.
I want to remind you as you leave our shores to compete with learners from thirty (30) other countries that you must keep the South African flame glowing and burning as you take part in this competition. By taking part in the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, you are actually spreading your skills and knowledge that you have gained so far. We expect you to integrate what you learn into your daily lives. You are now empowered, so turn your dreams into realities. As empowered youth, you are now expected to make informed choices that are less likely to compromise your future. There is no turning back for you but forge ahead as you pursue your dreams of a better life. As we often say, South Africa is alive with possibilities and today proves exactly that. We urge you not to allow your present circumstances to define your future and what you will be.
Your participation and involvement should go beyond words but translate to meaning to be shared while promoting the development and maintenance of groups and society in real life. The future of our country and its leadership is in the hands of these young ones, such as you our beloved learners. It will no longer be unheard of that one can use cellular phones to control water flow system because our very own learners are taking part in a competition that pioneers this kind of technology from the 22nd to the 29th of August 2015 in Sweden.
Let me use this opportunity without necessarily taking away the spotlight from our learners to announce that the Premier has appointed Ms. Beauty Mutheiwana as our Acting Head of Department. She has been seconded from the Provincial Treasury where she was a Senior General Manager responsible for Assets, Liabilities and Supply Chain Management. We urge all our stakeholders to cooperate and work with her as she discharges her duties so that together we turn things around in the Department for the good of Education in the Province. We welcome you in the Department of Education. I would justifiably like to express my appreciation to Mr. Mashaba, who has been the Acting Head of Department for some time now for the sterling work he has done in his tenure. Mr. Mashaba has since returned to his position in the Department as the Chief Financial Officer and we belief that these warranted changes will bring the necessary progress and stability as we roll out education programmes in the province.
Still on appointments and secondments, the Provincial Treasury has in terms of Section 18 (2) (g) and (i) of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) seconded a senior team of officials to intervene in the following areas in the Department. The key areas of intervention are in Supply Chain Management, Asset Management, Financial Accounting and Reporting, Implementation of Audit Action Plan, Budget Management and Governance, Records Management and Human Resource related matters.
With humility, we welcome these interventions and we envisage that the outcomes will be that of improved financial management, compliance to the PFMA and strengthened governance structures that will see the department ultimately improving the 2015/16 audit outcomes in the Department.
Back to our learners, we once more congratulate you on this feat and we urge you to be agents of change and development. The people of Limpopo and South Africa, your home province and country are right behind you every step of the way in this endeavor.
So do not let us down, do not let your families or your country or yourself down because the pain will be too much to bear. We know you can do it. Make us all proud.
Represent us well and we wish you all the best luck.
I thank you very much for making time to be with us today.
Contact:
Dr BN Rasila
Cell: 072 747 3078
