THE Higher Education, Science and Innovation Ministry has established entrepreneurship hubs at TVET colleges to support students to move into self-employment after completion of programmes. 

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Blade Nzimande, revealed this in Parliament on Thursday while delivering the department’s 2022 Budget Vote.

In the current financial year, the Minister said the department projected that the skills levy would increase to R20.6 billion from last year’s R18.9 billion.

Nzimande said the department had also taken the decision to prioritise the sector by re-allocating additional funds from the National Skills Fund.

“We have begun a process of crafting one country, one skills plan (Master Skills Plan). This process will promote a more efficient and effective mechanism for our country-wide skills planning.

“As part of my service level agreement with the SETAs, they will incorporate government priorities – especially those that address the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality as captured in the National Development Plan – in their Sector Skills Plans.”

These would therefore develop their Annual Performance Plans (APPs) to address skills challenges in various sectors of the economy and country in general.

During the 2022/23 financial year, the Ministry will increase its work-based learning programmes from 78 317 to 107 000.

“We will also Increase our learners registered in skills development programmes from 43 885 in 2020/21 to 148 000 in 2022/23 and increase our learners entering artisanal programmes from 10 302 in 2020/21 to 22 000 in 2022/23.”

The Ministry anticipates that 20 500 learners will pass the artisan trade test in 2022/23, a 5000 increase from the last financial year.

Learners who complete learnerships will also increase from 24 136 in 2020/21 to 31 300 in this financial year while learners who complete internships would stabilise at 5 200.

The SETAs combined placed 44 619 unemployed people into learnerships, of which over 34 710 were youths below 35. Over 25 550 of these were female. 

In the previous financial year, SETAs placed 9 901 interns, of which 9 096 were young people below the age of 35 years old and 6 455 were females. The SETAs spent just over R883 million in this regard.

For TVET placement, SETAs placed about 8 539 learners, with 5 656 being females at the total cost of R393 million. 

For university placement, SETAs placed 5 183 learners in workplaces at the value of R300 million.

Both university and TVET college curricula are being reviewed and strengthened to be relevant to the skills required by local employers, communities and the economy. 

He said: “On the other hand, 95% of SETAs are targeted to meet standards of good governance, with 100% of their allocated SETA Mandatory Grants paid to employers.”

The Minister said SETAs would process qualifying trade test applications within 40 days of receipt for trade testing and develop credible Sector Skills Plans. SETAs would in this regard produce reports on the implementation of the Skills Strategy.

“To further ensure the rapid skilling and training of our youth, particularly those in rural and townships, we are going to focus our attention to their training in areas such as agriculture and information and communication technologies,” he said.

“Our SETAs will be supporting my Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) in the development of critical high-end skills in selected technology areas such as the bioeconomy, space science, technology energy, intellectual property management.”

SA NEWS

THE Gauteng Online Admissions for Grade 1 and 8 for the 2023 academic year will officially commence on 22 July 2022 and will close on 19 August 2022.

In a statement on Monday, the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said that it has reviewed the online system, as well as the previous two-phased approach.

Following an analysis of various online parent surveys and stakeholder consultations, the system has now been enhanced to follow a single application process, allowing all applicants to apply at the same time during the application period.

The GDE said that it believes this overall simplified applications process will satisfy everyone.

“The application period will start on 22 July 2022 at 08:00 AM for Grade 1 and Grade 8 applications, and it will close on 19 August 2022 at 00:00 AM. To apply, visit: www.gdeadmissions.gov.za. Parents and guardians will receive SMS notifications of placement offers to either accept or decline from 3 – 31 October 2022,” the GDE said.

Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, said they are hopeful that these implemented enhancements will be helpful to all applicants.

He urged parents and guardians who will be seeking space for their children at Gauteng schools for Grade 1 or 8 in 2023, to make sure they diarise the announced dates as they are very important.

“Officials incorporated inputs from our stakeholders on how to improve the system. Indeed, we are hopeful that these implemented enhancements will be helpful to all applicants. Accordingly, we must reiterate that capacity remains our challenge in Gauteng, and a factor that applicants must always bear in mind when applying,” Lesufi said.

The department said that Grade R learners will not automatically be accepted to Grade 1 without application, even if they apply to the schools where they are currently enrolled in.

“This means that all learners that are 5 years old turning 6 years old by 30 June 2023 and are currently enrolled in Grade R in a school or ECD centre, as well as learners that are not in any type of school, must apply for admission at a minimum of three and a maximum of five schools,” the department said.

Important documents to submit

Parents and guardians are urged to upload or submit certified copies of the following documents within 7 days of applying:

· Parent and Child ID or Passport
· Refugee Permit
· Asylum Seeker Permit
· Permanent Residence Permit
· Study Permit
· South African Birth Certificate
· Proof of Home Address
· Proof of Work Address
· Latest School Report and Clinic Card/Immunisation Report (Grade 1 only)

Parents and guardians will be given up until 26 August 2022 (7 days after application period ends) to upload or submit their documents.

However, the GDE said that documents that are uploaded or submitted after the application period closing date will be considered as incomplete applications and will only receive placement at available schools between 1 – 15 December 2022.

To eliminate the risk of overlooking an applicant with uploaded documents by a school, during and up to 7 days after the end of the application period, the department said that schools will receive an auto alert each time new documents are uploaded. The system will highlight all uploaded documents for verification.

“In order to hold schools accountable for verification of all received documents, the system will prompt schools to answer the question whether an applicant submitted documents or not. If verified, the system will prompt the school to verify and update document status. If not verified, the system will create an alert on the parent’s profile and an SMS will be sent to parent to submit or upload documents,” the department said.

As part of the system enhancement process, applicants will be afforded the opportunity to make informed choices regarding languages offered when applying to a school.

Language of Learning and Teaching, Home Languages, and additional languages offered by each school will be visible on the system to applicants during the application period.

“All applicants will be granted an opportunity to apply to a school of their choice, according to the selected application option. This is an improvement as previous complaints we received stated that schools were not available for certain application options and, as such, all schools will remain open for applications for all during the application period,” GDE said.

For all applicants to submit completed applications, electronic messages will be sent via SMS reminding parents and guardians to complete their application, and the same notifications will be created on the parent’s profile on the system.

The department said that SMS notifications informing applicants whether their application was successful or unsuccessful will be sent from 3 – 31 October 2022.

Therefore, parents are urged to note that it is highly important that applicants provide ONE reliable and working cellphone number when applying in order to receive notifications and complete their application.

Schools of Specialisation

Schools of Specialisation will admit learners based on an aptitude or talent from 20 May – 20 June 2022, said the department.

Admission tests, written assessments, trials and auditions will also be conducted by Schools of Specialisation for applicants from 20 May – 26 August 2022.

“The outcome of these tests and trials will be communicated to applicants from 20 June 2022 – 9 September 2022. Parents who have applied to Schools of Specialisation are urged to accompany their children to these tests and trials to complete the process,” the department said.

Parents and guardians applying to boarding schools in Gauteng are encouraged to apply directly at identified schools. Applications to boarding schools will take place from 1 June 2022 – 19 August 2022.

Admission Regulations

The department said that placement of applicants with documents uploaded / delivered within the regulated period will be prioritized.

It must be noted that placement will be conducted as per the following admission regulations:

· Home address within feeder zone
· Siblings
· Work address
· Within 30 km Radius
· Beyond 30km Radius

Decentralised Walk-In Centres

To ensure access for applicants who are unable to apply from the comfort of their homes and or offices, the department has identified Decentralised Walk-In Centres in different areas where applicants will be safely assisted.

The department said that some District Offices and the Head Office will serve as walk-in centres.

This information will be made available to the public via schools, districts, the GDE Website and social media platforms.

“Parents and guardians who will be experiencing challenges during the application period are encouraged to visit our District Offices and Decentralised Walk-In Centres or call the GDE’s Contact Centre 0800 000 789.” 

SA NEWS

Who was Phindile Xaba and what was her cause of death? Tributes Pour In As “Seasoned journalist” Dead at 53: Recently, news has been coming out on the internet that Phindile Xaba, former editor-in-chief of Inside Education in Johannesburg, has died. The news was confirmed by her family on Saturday night and people are still expressing their grief on social media about her untimely death. She died at the age of 53. The death cause was her cancer.  She was battling this disease for a long period of time. She follows the doctor’s advice every single day and takes the treatment. But unfortunately, she lost the battle. In today’s article, we gonna take a look at her personal life as well as professional life.

Who was Phindile Xaba?

Phindile Xaba was a normal living person just like you and me. She worked at Media 24, where she was assigned the position of Editor. Every single day, authorities assigned the work to her and she will do it within a limited time frame. She will do it successfully and the staff members will be stunned by how she is able to do it.

After that, she joined another organization Mail & Guardian where she does the same work but at higher prices. She has also shown interest in various activities like True Love, City Press, St. Petersburg Times (USA), The Journalist, and so on.

Phindile Xaba Cause of Death?

When she was in Sowetan, she ran the Sowetan Women’s club where all the women comes together and celebrate it. Her club was going well and the girls love to go into the club because they feel relaxed and stress-free. All t

he pain that the girl was bearing on her shoulders was gone when they attend the party. But when her death news came out on the internet many were sad.

INDIA NEWS|

JOHN KANE-BERMAN|

IN today’s climate, it takes courage for an academic to speak out publicly against his university’s racial preferencing policies. That, however, is what David Benatar has done in The Fall of the University of Cape Town – Africa’s leading university in decline.

Last week this column highlighted what Professor Benatar described in his book, published last year, as the manufacture of the “narrative” of UCT as an anti-black “racist university”. In reality, he argued, there was much more evidence of anti-white than of anti-black hostility.

The claims by those seeking “transformation” and “decolonisation” that UCT is “anti-black” are deeply ironic, for this institution practises affirmative action on an “extreme” scale. Professor Benatar describes and critiques this.

Racial preferences in favour of blacks apply to admissions, appointments, mentoring, and funding. UCT already has more black than white students, while most of the senior administrative staff, including executives and deans, are black. Whereas 7.75% of the academic staff at UCT were black in the broad sense in 1994, that proportion in 2019 was 31%.

Further, he says, if black students continue to be “shortchanged” in schools, failing either to matriculate or to obtain a university pass, “we cannot expect things to change dramatically for many decades to come”.

The pool of suitably qualified applicants for academic staff is even more limited than the pool of qualified students. It bears “very little resemblance to the national demographics”. It is further limited by the fact that suitably qualified blacks are more likely to be recruited by other public organisations and the private market, where strong racial preferences are also operative. Moreover, given that people considered for academic positions are people with degrees, they are among the least disadvantaged of blacks.

One way in which racial preferencing has been practised “in many instances” in academic appointments is by shortlisting candidates on separate lists. White candidates, “no matter how superb”, are not included on the A list. If no suitable candidate is found on this list, candidates on the B list are not considered. Instead, the position is re-advertised.

“Under this modus operandi,” says the book, “no white candidate can be appointed, no matter good he or she may be, and irrespective of whether there is any appointable black South African candidate.”   

Also, says Professor Benatar, on “many other occasions a white applicant is passed over in favour of a much weaker applicant from a ‘designated’ [that is, black] group”. Although many “excellent” black candidates are appointed, the racial preferencing system means that many of those appointed from favoured demographics are going to be “much weaker than those who could have been appointed”.

The book describes in detail one case where the appointment of a faculty dean was delayed for a couple of years because a suitable and available black candidate could not easily be found. At the time of writing, half of UCT’s eight faculty deans were not yet full professors. This was not because of a dearth of full professors, but because most were from the “wrong demographic”.

Professor Benatar adds that the response to the extreme racial preferences practised at UCT is a “conspiracy of silence”. Most academics will not speak out against “rigged hiring practices”, even when significantly inferior candidates are appointed, “as is often the case”. Anyone who does not participate in the pretence that they are not inferior “is quickly condemned as hostile to transformation”.

One of the issues the book tackles is that of “diversity”. As the term is now widely used in South Africa, this does not mean diversity of opinion, which is “arguably” one of the most important kinds of diversity for a university to have. Both in South Africa and elsewhere, however, those demanding diversity are in practice seeking that proportions of staff and students reflect working-age national demographics.

Professor Benatar concedes that racial diversity can undermine racial stereotypes, but he argues that “strong” racial preferences are more likely to reinforce them. “The stronger the preference required to appoint a particular candidate, the more the preference is likely to reinforce rather than undermine stereotypes. This is because those appointed as a result of such preferences are likely to be weaker on average than those appointed without racial preference.” There is good reason, he writes, to think that strong preferences are used “quite often” at UCT.

He also questions the argument that diversity produces “role models”. If strong racial preferences are used in hiring, the role models so appointed might not be the best ones to emulate.

Professor Benatar further argues that racial patronage is bad for the countries that tolerate it. This was true of South Africa in the apartheid era, and it is also true today. Much of the reason why South Africa is on a “steep descent” is its system of racial (and political) patronage. Systems can tolerate a certain degree of patronage when other parts of the system are able to compensate. But when patronage is as widespread as it is in South Africa, “systems begin to break”.

“The cumulative effects of appointing weaker academics in the humanities, for example, might be less obvious than the cumulative effects of hiring practices at Eskom, but they are no less real.”

Some weeks back, this column reported the minister of public service and administration as having told Parliament that 26% of senior managers in the public services did not have the requisite qualifications for the posts they occupied. This leaves 74% who supposedly do have the requisite qualifications.

Professor Benatar book prompts a question: “What proportion of that 74% are also in practice unqualified for their posts because of racial preferencing in their tertiary education?”

The Zondo commission has helped to highlight the problem of cadre deployment, whose purpose has always been unashamedly nothing less than state capture. But we shall probably never know how much of the destruction of the public sector is due to cadre deployment, how much the result of corruption, and how much the result of racial preferencing both in public sector appointments and in academic institutions producing the personnel for such appointments.  

But advocates of transformation want the demographics of students and staff to resemble those of the country. Professor Benatar says it is “delusional” to think this can happen without serious cost to universities.    

The university provides remedial support to students who have been “moderately disadvantaged” by poor schooling. But it cannot compensate for twelve years of “appalling primary and secondary education”, the result of which is that only a small proportion of school leavers are qualified to enter university. Pursuing demographic proportionality by admitting more students on the basis of race would mean admitting “vast numbers who are not at all qualified for university”.

Some weeks back, this column reported the minister of public service and administration as having told Parliament that 26% of senior managers in the public services did not have the requisite qualifications for the posts they occupied. This leaves 74% who supposedly do have the requisite qualifications.

Professor Benatar book prompts a question: “What proportion of that 74% are also in practice unqualified for their posts because of racial preferencing in their tertiary education?”

The Zondo commission has helped to highlight the problem of cadre deployment, whose purpose has always been unashamedly nothing less than state capture. But we shall probably never know how much of the destruction of the public sector is due to cadre deployment, how much the result of corruption, and how much the result of racial preferencing both in public sector appointments and in academic institutions producing the personnel for such appointments.  

* John Kane-Berman is a policy fellow at the IRR, a think-tank that promotes political and economic freedom

VICKY ABRAHAM, a regular contributor at INSIDE EDUCATION, pays tribute to her mentor, Phindile Xaba, who died on Saturday after a long battle with cancer. Xaba’s long and illustrious career included being the editor of Real Magazine, under Media24 stable, which created the platform for healing of women. She was also the founding editor of the Sowetan women’s club. She also worked for the Mail and Guardian, as the editor of The Teacher. She also worked for The New Age, True Love, City Press, St. Pietersburg Times (USA), The Journalist and many others. At the time of her death, she was a communicator in the office of the deputy minister in the Department of Public Service and Administration, Dr Chana Pilane-Majake.

TRIBUTE|

On February 15, at 9:20am, my day was brightened by a WhatsApp text message from my former editor and mentor, Ausi Phindile Xaba from Sowetan. The message read as follows: “Good morning Vicky. It’s Phindile Xaba here. Long time, hey! I wonder if Matuma [Letsoalo] spoke to you about a print version of Inside Education. I am reaching out to invite you to join the A-Team.  I would like that very much. Let’s talk later. Regards. PX”.

In response to her message, I said: “Dear Phindile, how are you, my mentor? I’m so excited to hear from you. Please let me know what time would be appropriate for us to talk. Regards, Vicky”. She responded by saying: “Now is a good time Vicky if you are available. Regards”.

The purpose of our reconnection through WhatsApp was to discuss and strategise ways of compiling the Inside Education’s quarterly special edition.

Ausi Phindi’s message came through after 20 years of having lost communication with her. But, I must profess that it did not dawn on me that our work journey would be ephemeral. It did not occur to me that my three stories that she edited under the following titles: “How Diepsloot underprivileged School Made It to the Top”, “World’s Most Dedicated Teacher”, “SA Student Makes It To Oxford”, would be the last that we would work on together. Honestly, it did not occur to me that she will be counted among the departed souls.

I first met Ausi Phindile during my internship program at the Sowetan in 2000, which shortly turned to a contractual employment. At the time, she was heading the Sowetan’s Women’s section. Journalists who contributed for that section were often seasoned journalists. Even though I was fresh from varsity and did not have newsroom experience, she accepted my pitch about writing a feature on premenstrual syndrome. She later then granted me an opportunity to write for the Women’s section.  During the process she took me by hand and guided me on how to put together my ideas.

Although there are numerous features that I contributed for her Women’s section, she also preferred utilising my modelling skills for the section at no cost. She would call me in for modelling photoshoots which she later used. But often, it was her guiding me on how to write compelling feature articles.

I reminded her about these special and funny moments during our virtual diary meeting on that day, February 15.  I reminded her about the life changing role she played in my life during my tenure at the Sowetan and the love I have for her as my mentor. She however warned me, in a shy manner, that she is no longer as sweet as she was at the Sowetan. She was upfront that unlike in the past, at some stages she will not be so kind toward me. My response to her was sweet and short.

I told her that I only know the positive about her and in the case that she loses her temper on me during our ongoing work discussions, I will constantly keep in mind her positive side that I know. Instead of losing her temper on me, on March 16, she took me to task for calling her “Phindile” instead of “Ausi Phindile”. I recall picking up her call and the first thing she said: “Vicky, kana when did I become Phindile to you and not Ausi Phindile”. Without going into too much details, she was basically reminding me that although we have a working relationship, I should still remember that it is unacceptable in our African culture to call her Phindile instead of Ausi Phindile.

From then, I made sure that I continuously referred to her as Ausi Phindile in our written and verbal communication. Few days later, during our work discussions, she wore her sisterly cap and counselled me on how to handle business related matters. She warned me not to sell myself short in the media industry. She shared with me how she handles business-related matters and advised me to walk in her footsteps.

But, I must say on March 19, she was not so kind toward me. She related her concerns that I had written features that were beyond 1200 words. She was also not happy that my sidebars were, according to her, “very long”. On the other hand, I was not happy with her about certain things that I had previously related to her.  After our discussion on March 19, I spent a day without communicating with her, simply because I was not happy.

However, the anger was for a brief moment. A day without speaking to her felt like the 20 years that we spent without communicating. I missed her dearly, hence on Mach 21 at around 15:56, I sent her the following message, “Dear Sis Phindile, I am just checking on you today. Hope all is well. Have a blessed day. I still love you akere. Regards”. She responded with emojis of hugs and smiles.

My relationship with Ausi Phindile was not just a mere work relationship. She played a role of a leader, mentor and a sister to me. She knew when to wear the leader, mentor or sister’s cap when she addressed me. In all the caps she wore or roles she played during our interactions, she made sure that she made a positive impact in my life.

I am deeply saddened that the three education features that I wrote for Inside Education’s special edition were the last ones that she edited.  Without knowing that she was fighting for her life, my family and I had taken it upon ourselves to include her in our daily prayers. I honestly did not know that the prayer that we prayed for her on May 7, just before her departure was the last one.

I already miss Ausi Phindile’s presence, her beautiful laughter and guidance. Although, we had already made plans for the upcoming second edition of Inside Education, I am saddened she will not be behind the desk editing my work. But, I am very grateful to God for the times I spent with her and the lessons that I learned from her. I pray for her family to be strengthened. May heaven welcome her with open arms. 

INSIDE EDUCATION|

WENDY MOTHATA|

MORE than 400 learners from Tsiki Naledi Primary School in Hendrina, Mpumalanga will benefit from a new state of the art computer laboratory at the school. Among other things, the laboratory gives learners an opportunity to learn about coding and robotics, a curriculum that the Department of Basic Education wants to introduce in 2023.

In April, the Department of Basic Education announced implementation of Coding and Robotics for Grade R, 3 and 7.

“440 learners from Tsiki Naledi Primary School in Hendrina, Steve Tshwete Local Municipality have enormously benefited from the generosity of Software AG and E&T Minerals,” Mpumalanga Department of Education said.

The two business entities partnered to build a new state of the art computer laboratory at the school.

“This state of the art 4IR lab envisions a future of hi-tech immersive and interactive learning experience in the rural environment to propel learners into a field of technology and the future of work in the modern world,” the Department said.

The Department said that the laboratory is intended to reduce the digital divide by ensuring that the physical, curricular, and web environments are barrier-free to teaching and lifelong learning.

“The Ithemba Lethu, as the 4IR laboratory is called, will give Grades 4 to 7 learners access to the internet and electronic devices during the learning process.”

The Lab is equipped with robotics equipment, 3-D printers, drones, coding system learning kits and state-of-the-art computers to enable learners from Grade 4 to 7 to be able to use from the beginning of the 2023 academic year.

The principal of the school Menzelwa Petros Skhosana said the learners would be able to compete with the best and brightest in science, mathematics and technology across the world.

“We are grateful for the efforts by Software AG and E&T Minerals in establishing a computer lab that sets our school on a level that will allow our learners to compete with the best and brightest in the science, mathematics and technology world,” said Skhosana. 

 MEC Bonakele Majuba expressed his gratitude to the sponsors, “The CEO of E&T Minerals, Mr. Emmanuel Ngulube and Transformation Director of Software AG, Ms. Ndazi Nokoane for the patriotic gesture of transforming education through technology.”

Department of Basic Education on Technology at schools

Last month, the Department of Basic Education announced that it plans to introduce new school subjects to the curriculum.

According to the department, a full-scale implementation of coding and robotics for Grade R, 3 and 7 would be made available in the 2023 academic year.

“The coding and robotics pilot for Grades 4-6 and for Grades 8 is planned for 2022 and will be followed by a Grade 9 pilot in 2023. The full-scale implementation for Grades 4-6 and Grade 8 is planned for 2024, and Grade 9 in 2025,” says the department.

The subjects would form part of the curriculum at different school levels from Grade R to Grade 9.

The department added that the introduction of the new subjects form part of a broader push to better prepare South African students for the working world.

Coding and robotics subjects are aimed at guiding and preparing learners to solve problems, think critically, work collaboratively and creatively, and function in a digital and information-driven world.

INSIDE EDUCATION

WENDY MOTHATA|

THE Department of Basic Education says it is ready to administer the 2022 May/June Grade 12 examinations which started on Monday this week.

The Department also wished all candidates who will sit for the May/June 2022 examinations the best in their endeavours.

“More than 290 680 people will rewrite their NSC and Senior Certificate exams from today [Monday],” the Department of Basic Education said in a statement.

“The number of candidates for the two respective qualifications are as follows: National Senior Certificate: 165 993 and Senior Certificate: 124 689. These candidates will be sitting for the examinations at 5 236 examination centres, across the country.”

The National Senior Certificate candidates have written their exams in previous years but did not attain the full requirements of the qualification. In addition, this year’s rewrite exams were for the first time opened to candidates registered for the October/November examination, as from 2008.

The Department said those who did not succeed would be granted a second chance to attain their goal of having a matric certificate.

The Department advised the candidates to locate their examinations centres days before they’re due to write.

“Avoid frustration, don’t leave this off until the day of the exam,” the department said.

Meanwhile, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education head of communications Muzi Mahlambi said that a total of 36 850 learners will be rewriting the 2022 May/June Matric examination in the province.

Mahlambi said that the department was ready to conduct the exam.

He said that all learners who lost their IDs during the KZN floods including would be allowed to write the examinations. 

“As the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education we are ready to conduct the examination despite the recent floods we have had. We have even said that learners who have lost everything in their homes including their ID’s are allowed to sit for the examinations. For we have a schedule for all registered learners and we will also be using admission letters known as timetables,” said Mahlambi.   

The KZN MEC for Education Kwazi Mshengu wished all the learners well in their exams.

“All the best, this is the license to your future qualifications after acquiring matric,” Mshengu said.

More than 630 schools were affected by the floods in KwaZulu-Natal with 101 of them being inaccessible and 124 suffering extensive damage.

In the Eastern Cape, more than 13 000 of the candidates are set to rewrite the examinations.

Outgoing Western Cape Education Minister, Debbie Schäfer, said there were 174 exam centres across the province.

Schäfer wished all the candidates well.

“I wish all candidates the very best as they tackle their exams and invest in their futures. Work hard, do your best, and know that we are here to support you to the fullest,” Schäfer said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

THANDIWE JUMO|

CAPTAIN Simangele Gxeyane (34) has added a Bachelor of Laws to her long list of achievements. The young station commander who is stationed at Mehlomnyama joined the South African Police Service (SAPS) at the age of 19 and steadily climbed the ranks, which motivated her to pursue a Law degree.

‘I completed my Bachelor of Arts in 2011 and graduated with my Honours in 2013. I decided it was time to study something different. My exposure to law enforcement led me to choose an LLB because I wanted to enhance my knowledge of the law,’ said Gxeyane.

Having come a long way from being a domestic worker and fast-food waitress, Gxeyane has a reputation as an all-rounder at the SAPS, having worked in the Crime Prevention and K9 Unit as well as Crime Intelligence Covert Operations.

During her studies, she served as the Treasurer for the Black Lawyers Association UKZN Student Chapter. In her second-year, she was appointed warrant officer in Durban’s Serious Organised Crime Unit. 

She broke the glass ceiling during her final-year of studies when she was appointed station commander.

‘Colleagues at my previous office used to call me “Advocate” because I’m very thorough. Studying for an LLB was the best experience of my life but very challenging. Law is a noble profession and a Law qualification is valuable in all organisations and in the community considering that we live in a democratic society.’

Apart from being a mother to her eight-year-old son, Maziya is a sports fanatic.

She completed her first Comrades Marathon in 2018 and has taken part in the Two Oceans, Mandela and Soweto Marathons.

‘Juggling work, studying and being a mother is challenging. I only managed because of the support I received from my lecturers, my fellow Law students, and my family, especially my mother Mrs Gxeyane and my employer. I’m currently pursuing my Masters in Management since I am new in management and plan to register for a Masters of Business Law at UKZN. I won’t stop studying and always encourage young kids to make education fashionable,’ she said.

SUPPLIED: UKZN

EDWIN NAIDU|

COLOURFUL, sometimes controversial, but never dull. Mamokgethi Phakeng is one of South Africa’s best-known university heads and a brilliant mathematician to boot.

Phakeng, who became the first black female to obtain a doctorate in mathematics education in 2002, started her term of office as vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town in July 2018.

In October 2021, she was appointed as the first Illustrious Visiting Professor (BIVP) of the University of Bristol in England because of her “exceptional and inspirational” work in maths education. In 2019, Phakeng  was awarded a doctorate of science from the university.

In the role, she will engage with the university’s academic community, participate in a public lecture series, and strengthen educational and research collaborations between the two universities.

Phakeng has a host of awards to her name, including the Order of the Baobab (Silver) from the South African Presidency in 2016 for her contribution to science on the international stage.

Childhood love of maths

Phakeng tells SciDev.Net that she developed a love for mathematics while growing up.

“I think I was in Grade 10 when my mother heard about a winter school in the area, and she sent me there. They were only doing mathematics,”  she says.

“My school had a winter school for physics, a township school in Ga-Rankua. And it is here that they introduced us to geometry which sort of changed my mind about mathematics because suddenly it made sense.

“After the holidays, I returned to Odi High School and was hooked on mathematics. It was something where I could predict how I was going to perform… So, I think that was the love that developed in this time. The teacher introduced the concepts that I grasped, the big idea and [I] gained confidence from there. I was 13.”

But Phakeng says the second thing that helped her get into mathematics was the influence of her parents. Her dad was the country’s first black broadcaster, while her mum was a school teacher.

“My parents never talked about mathematics [being] hard. There was never a hierarchy of subjects at home. There was only the demand that you [had to] do well. My dad had a demand to be excellent,” she recalls.

Phakeng says this protected her from the fear of maths. “Many children fear science because they’re told maths is tough. Many girls are scared of science because they’re told ‘girls don’t do maths. Whereas I didn’t know, so that naivety about mathematics helped.”

After matriculation, Phakeng enrolled for a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Bophuthatswana (now the University of North-West). “I was performing well and feeling proud of myself,” she tells SciDev.Net.

Motivating young people

Phakeng believes young people should be made aware of the benefits of maths such as logical thinking and making sense of things around us, as well as the careers available to mathematicians.

“Many young people think that mathematics doesn’t mix with certain things. I mean, I put on makeup and do mathematics. So, I say to them that it is possible. And this is how you can make it possible. Every day, at least an hour, you do mathematics to practice what you’ve done before,” she says.

Her love for mathematics took her into a career in the non-governmental sector, working as a teacher in rural farm schools “with the most impoverished people” before she joined academia.

Now, a member of the board of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) in South Africa, girls and many others look up to her for inspiration. She is also a member of the board of the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator, a body that brings together different communities to jointly anticipate scientific and technological advancements and, based on them, develop inclusive and global solutions for a sustainable future.

The secret of her success as a maths teacher? “I have this philosophy that if you want children to do well in mathematics, you must make them love mathematics, and to make them love mathematics comes in how you teach it so that they can do it even when you’re not there.”

Her journey through academic institutions saw her work in a variety of roles before landing the vice-chancellor role at UCT, considered among the best on the African continent. Phakeng says her rating as a B1 scientist was necessary because “when you’re a black African woman, the assumption is that you are an affirmative action appointee”.

According to the National Research Foundation of South Africa, a researcher with B1 rating is one who “enjoys considerable international recognition for the high quality and impact of his or her recent research outputs, with some of them indicating that he or she is a leading international scholar in the field”.

“It’s been very important for me to tick every step, even to get the rating,” says Phakeng, because “there will always be doubting Thomases [who] question how capable you are… So, it’s essential that people can see what you have done. They can check your international reputation as a scholar, as a leader…the data and evidence of leadership and scholarship is there to be seen. I felt that it’s essential to do that as a black African.”

This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.

SOUTH African rugby union captain Siya Kolisi has established the first Red Bull Roots rugby clinic for young female and male rugby players in order to upskill and empower them.

The legendary South Africa skipper on Tuesday said investing in the youth of South Africa through rugby is one of the reasons he established the Kolisi Foundation, which is committed to tackling the challenge of inequality in the global game.

The Red Bull Roots – a multi-year partnership with the Kolisi Foundation is a way to give back to the sport he loves, the Springboks captain added.

The first clinic held at the Kings Park stadium in Durban saw some young rising female and male talents from around Kwa-Zulu Natal go through a day of motivation and inspiration, which included wisdom from the likes of Kolisi, Babalwa Latsha, Sikhumbuzo Notshe and James Venter.

The 30-year-old, who also plays for the Sharks, explained: “Red Bull Roots and the one-day clinic is all about going back to where it all started for me – grassroots rugby. It’s important to me to be giving back and making sure that we’re creating opportunities for young people. I strongly believe that representation is everything and that in shared leadership we can accomplish anything. The more people have access to rugby, the bigger the pool of talent that you can work from. The sport isn’t just about ‘making it’, it also teaches values like discipline and accountability.”

Female representation within rugby is equally important with young women like Latsha able to strive and reach the inspirational heights that Kolisi achieved with the 2019 World Cup-winning team.

The 28-year-old revealed: “This project is all about us passing on core memories and skills; the belief that in the fact that we can have another Babalwa Latsha or Siya Kolisi in the near future. This type of project is very close to my heart because, I, like them, was a youngster who was from the township and found the sport of rugby. The sport has opened so many doors for me and gave me the opportunity of being the first-ever woman in Africa to play professional rugby overseas.”

The Kolisi foundation has shared its vision to construct a state-of-the-art sports complex soon in Kolisi’s hometown of Zwide in the Eastern Cape.

“I hope this sports centre will bridge the gap in terms of unearthing and developing talent. I think the challenge is the resources and communities investing in grassroots sports.” Kolisi said of the plan.

Rugby is a big sport in South Africa who are currently the world champions having defeated England in the 2019 tournament final.