Addressing the attendees, Chancellor Justice Mandisa Maya welcomed everyone to the auspicious occasion: “We have gathered here today to honour the class of 2022, an exceptional group of young women and men, and congratulate them for their hard-won achievements”.

“Attaining a university qualification is a tough undertaking under the best of circumstances, one can only imagine how difficult it must have been for you to do so under the challenging conditions that the pandemic brought about. Meeting these kinds of odds must take tremendous focus, inner strength, adaptability and resilience and we deeply admire your courage and dedication, and we applaud you for your hard work”, she added.

 Justice Maya continued, “You have reached a golden milestone, one that lays a strong foundation for you and opens the door for you to the future and a wide-open world and job market. While I have no wish to spoil your special day, I have to remind you that it is unfortunately a deeply troubled and harsh world set by all manner of great ills. Extreme inequality, joblessness, poverty, violence, greed, corruption, cyberbullying, depression, anxiety and other diseases, climate changes and many others that my generation cannot eradicate.”

“I want to take a moment and make a special plea to the young men we are honouring today and indeed all the men in this audience. There is a very dark cloud that is hovering around us that we simply cannot ignore. South African girls and women are under siege. South Africa holds the world title of abusing, raping and killing females no matter their age. Women are afraid for their lives every time, even in our own homes, and no number of laws will eradicate this evil. It is the attitude of men learning to respect and protect women that will save us from this evil."

International graduates from Mozambique and India respectively, Payal Chetan Mehta and Rithuparna Nathan.

UMP Vice-Chancellor Professor Thoko Mayekiso said: “As each graduate walks across the stage and receives their qualification I want you to know that I am greatly honoured to share this special moment with you. The gathering was a magnificent academic forum to affirm the achievement of students.

This reaffirms the intellectual bonds that connect us to those who have crossed this stage and graduated from our great institution and those who will do so in centuries to come."

Professor Mayekiso further said UMP is truly a growing university, which means with distinctions the university is on the verge of establishing a mark nationally and internationally.

“I am honoured to be here with you and congratulate you on achieving this important milestone. By reaching this point in your education journey you have distinguished yourselves as disciplined, committed hard-working South Africans who are determined to make the change we want to see in your lives. This is your moment of pride in your achievements and anticipation for the opportunities and accomplishments that lay ahead.”

“The knowledge you have acquired has not only equipped you to better understand our world but also how to change it. South Africa needs you and your skills to contribute to our nation’s growth and development. Education is a proud accomplishment for any individual, their family or community. It is one of the venture's assets in life that nobody can take away from you, when we welcomed you to UMP a few years ago we urged you to use your time at UMP productively and to be bold in your intellectual pursuits, “she said.

Professor Mayekiso said that it is their responsibility as the university to create a supportive environment that natures students’ enthusiasm and guides them to success.

In celebration mood, Bachelor of Education graduate.

Giving a congratulatory message to graduates, UMP Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning Professor Shirley Sommers said that it is heartfelt for her to be at the ceremony to offer congratulatory messages to graduates.

“Class of 2022, you have exhibited resilience and persistence, you have made tremendous achievements during a pandemic and its contaminated challenges. You have adapted to online learning, Moodle and responders. Your presence today is a testimony that you have lived the UMP values.

A total of 1 112 UMP students graduated in 2022.

“You are today because of the expertise, skills and the knowledge of UMP’s academic staff and academic support staff, so please rise and give a standing ovation for the remarkable work they have done,” she said.

“Graduates, the world awaits you, it awaits your ingenuity, so go out there and make the world a better place, a better place than you found it and you can make it a better place by ensuring that you build instead of destroying, by being a problem solver instead of being a problem creator. You can make this world a better place by practising what we have taught you here at UMP. Remember when you first came, we spoke about graduate attributes, well you have those attributes now." 

The 2022 UMP Graduation highlights included the awarding of 25 different qualifications, six of which were new. Further highlights included: 15 Master’s degrees were awarded/conferred. 40 students had been awarded/conferred their qualifications with a Cum Laude (distinction).

33 recipients of the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship graduated. 13 students who are recipients of the UMP Excellence Awards will be graduating. Graduating students were from five different countries including South African Member of Parliament, Mr Timothy Mashele (MP) who graduated with a Bachelor of Development Studies Honours.

@ Story by Cleopatra Makhaga. Pictures by ChrisplPhoto

Dr Ndlovu said celebrating diversity in the current political state, is when we start to acknowledge that Africa is central to itself and to the rest of the world.

“Africa shares this history of colonialisation, which shaped our political identities. As diverse Africa we take that to affirm ourselves to define the future that is wanted by us, as diverse people of Africa who share experiences, history of colonialism which we all share.”

Professor Mahlomaholo added that celebrating Africanness in education is by making more visible the practices of excellence that come from African continent. “There are so many achievements that people of Africa had made in terms of better educational practices, discoveries in the sciences, human and social sciences.

“So through education we try to put them to the fore so that we can become aware that we have made these significant strides in every facet of human endevour and that Africa has been a force to be reckoned with,” he expained.

The Language Issue

How do we decolonise education without speaking of laungage? Ms Bhuda said that language is a small aspect when it comes to decolonising.

Culture and Heritage lecturer Ms Thulisile Bhuda.

“We talk about transforming the curriculum and when we decolonise it doesn’t mean that we move away from Western knowing, it means that we are saying that everything that makes us African should be part of the curriculum.

“A child who is Ndebele and learning about AmaNdebele culture, that knowledge has to be part of the curriculum. Some aspects of who we are has to be features in some subjects.”

Ms Bhuda continued that subjects such as Mathematiics, which is used at home in beadwork and art murals that uses symetrical geometry should be part of the curriculum.

“Childen should learn geometry at home because elders use the shapes in the mural walls and bead work. Therefore when its taught at sschools children can relate to it because its something they know.

Our cultural background should be part of the curriculum and that starts with decolonising the content. African people existed before colonialism. Africa was never in stone age. Africa had its own civiliazation long before colonialism. We have an abandonment of our craft in Europe and the countires, proving early civilisation,” she said.

Decolonisng the Curriculum

Dr Ndlovu said political education has a central role to play in being part of efforts and struggles to decolonise Africa. She further stated that the process starts with relearning what we learnt, especially the theft of history.

Political Studies lecturer Dr Sifiso Ndlovu.

“Africa has been portrayed as a continent without history and the curriculum we were all fed was borders around colonialisation because in Eurocentic terms Africa has been portrayed as people without history or knowledge.

But a day like Africa Day where people from diverse African content remember their Africaness. It is vital that we become cautious of the theft of our history.”

Professor Mehlomaholo added that things that were generated in Africa for instance research has been about what Africans think and portrays the researcher as the most important person.

“The research instrument questions and other things such as interview schedules. The concept of participation and the methodology used should be decolonised,” he said.

Thulisile Bhuda added that decolonising research, would mean Africans writing and representing their own research.

“They should be at the centre of research, conduct our own and our people become knowledge holders, participants and not subjects.”

She added: “We are learning from elders and not there as officials. We are there when they are transmitting this knowledge to us and we are there humbing ourselves to get the knowledge, and because of who we are and how we do things we want to participate as indegenious researchers and participants, learning this knowledge and try to document it.”

Professor Mahlomaholo added that there is transformation as researchers are now working together with the policy makers, as the research methodology are finding their way in the mainstream of doing research and documenting it.

“Collaboration with schools, department of education are working together on issues such as the use of mother tongue so that we may see grade 12 writing chemistry in their mother language because research demonstrates that when children learn in their African languages, they can perfom better.

Politics

Dr Ndlovu said Africa does not exist in isolation, it is central to itself but takes into cognisance of what is happening around the world. “To the rest of the world, we have influence as a united Africa not just in politics but in socio-economic aspects.”

Decolonising our households, Ms Bhuda said parents are imposing English at home. Children need to understand and speak english to accommodate others and that is what they have over us.

Prof Mehlomaholo literacy levels at schools have dropped, what has set us back is the few challenges showing that South Africa does not perfom could have been the result of our history. Our knowledge at schools have been presented in a fashion that makes learners believe that schooling belongs to Europe.

“But now there is awareness that we are the custodians of. We educators have to find ways of linking knowledge at home so that when they come at schools they do not have to be transisitioning. Using their home languages to address their aspirations and fears. Their experiences should also be reflected in the curriculum.

Its not entirely children who have to be, we have to make it possible for them to succeed by ensuriing that the curriculm we teach is relevant so that they find it interesting.”

The dialogue kick-started a series of Africa Day activies which were held at the University of Mpumalanga Mbombela campus, including a lecture by Prof Samba Buri Mboup from Senegal.

Other acivities by students: demonstrations by countries and food from around the continent: Rwanda, Lesotho, Kenya Moroccoe, DRC and Senegal.

@ Story by Cleopatra Makhaga. Pictures supplied.

Mnyambo, the first in his family to go to university, received a distinction for his research under the topic: Resistance status of Bambara groundnuts to root-knot nematodes and nematodes management using plant extracts.

“My achievements are dedicated to my late mother who never had the opportunity to go to university. I wish she was still around to witness the person I am today. For the past six years, I never imagined I would be here. I appreciate the help I received from my supervisor, lecturers, family, and friends. I'm ecstatic; being among those who graduated Cum Laude is the most amazing feeling I've ever had,” he says.

Mnyambo is currently registered for a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy in Agriculture) at the University of Mpumalanga.

“I am funded by NRF and with the research that I will be doing, I believe that I will contribute in the field of academia. My career goal is to become a lecturer and researcher at the University of Mpumalanga. My interest is to contribute towards the field of teaching and tutoring of students at UMP,” he says.

Mnyambo hails from Makoko, a small village in Mpumalanga, which he says has not produced anyone who graduated with a Master’s degree and Cum Laude. “I admire God's work. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a young person that is part of the growing state-of-the-art university in South Africa, UMP.

Leadership skills

Mnyambo further says that his passion for leadership and helping others began when he was a Bachelor of Science student.

“From 2017 to 2020 I worked as a chemistry tutor under the guidance and supervision of Dr Nokuthula Khanyile. Some of my responsibilities included tutoring, facilitating student’s practicals, marking, and commenting on student assignments, participating and moderating online discussions and forums, and teaching small student groups,” he adds.

“The tutorship programme has enabled me to effectively manage time and schedules, to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, and to apply knowledge of test administration techniques and procedures. It also taught me how to maintain the confidentiality of records and information, basic data entry and/or word processing skills, knowledge of tutorial/learning materials and instructional aids, skills in preparing instructional aids and plans, and organizing and coordinating skills.”

In 2019, Mnyambo was part of the Student Representative Council (SRC) under the office of Sports and Recreation.

“In this role l received training in the following areas: SA Higher Education Legislative Imperatives, Ethical and Values-Driven Leadership, Communication in Leadership, Conflict Resolution, Negotiation Skills, Financial Management, and Work-Life Balance for Leaders. I captained the university soccer team for a period of two years (2017-2018) and participated in the major University tournament called University Sports South Africa (USSA).

Nicholus Mnyambo has a passion for teaching and academia.

Mnyambo also excelled in his undergraduate studies, getting a merit award of appreciation for excellence in 2019.

“This gave me an edge over my colleagues which enabled me to receive funding from NRF for my master’s studies for the year 2021.

During my first-year postgraduate (MSc) in 2020 under the supervision of Dr ZP Dube, I assisted with student practicals and student supervision. Part of my responsibilities was to assist in project proposal design, experimental setups, data collection, and data analysis.

“Dr Dube also assigned me to co-supervise two Honours students for the year 2021 (Charles Ngwenya and Zizo Tetyana) under his tutorage. I was a Residence Student Assistant (RSA) in the year 2021. I was part of the two students who were part of the Postgraduate committee called Postgraduate Studies Committee of Senate (PGSCS) in 2021.”

Research focus to improve lives

An agriculturist at heart, Mnyambo grew up in a family that is agriculturally orientated, which prompted him to fall in love with agriculture.

“My research focuses on the use of a traditional plant, Bambara groundnut also known as tindlubu in Siswati. Bambara groundnut is a traditional underutilized crop which is important as a food source, particularly for most rural communities where levels of food insecurity are very high. The crop is grown in marginal soils high in nematode infestations known to reduce yield,” he adds.

“Moreover, there is a huge gap between production from commercial agriculture and production from substance farming. This is due to the resources available in commercial agriculture, which are absent in rural areas. People from rural communities don’t have enough capital to purchase these chemicals that assist in improving yields.

Also, there is an increase in the general awareness of the harmful effect that these chemicals have on the environment and human health, which resulted in some being withdrawn or restricted from the market.”

His dream is to promote the traditional crops to assist in addressing issues caused by the growing human populations such as high food demand. “The research will provide an alternative cheap method that can be adopted by farmers and control nematodes and simultaneously improve yields.”

@ Story by Lisa Thabethe. Pictures Supplied.

The various divisions within the university each had a separate stall within the hall where learners received relevant information and could ask questions and address any concerns or uncertainties. Speaking to learners, Deputy Registrar, Nokukhanya Shongwe said the registrar’s office participates in the open day to ensure that they guide learners on application processes.

"For example, we hand out a booklet that guides you step-by-step with regards to the online application process; it lists the various programmes on offer, as well as their APS scores. It is critical for our office to participate because we are responsible for ensuring that the right decisions are made, and how many applicants are accepted. It’s our role to ensure that we guide learners properly so that when they enter, they don’t find themselves frustrated,” she said.

“This day is crucial because learners get to know more about the university and how it functions, such as entry requirements. They now  know that we care, even if they don’t perform well in grade 11, we won’t just reject them. We keep their applications until the end of the year when we receive their final matric results,” she added.

Learners had the opportunity to learn more about what the university offers.

Student housing

Student Housing and Affairs displayed a demo of what on-campus student housing looks like, as well as a slideshow of UMP’s living and learning programmes which are generally conducted within the university community.

Manelisi Kilani from Student Housing said: “We offer information on living and learning on campus because that is the major service that we provide - to make sure we have well-equipped students who are able to become well-grounded graduates when they leave the university. We want to have charismatic graduates from UMP that will have a marketing urge when they go to the job market,” he added.

“Living and learning are basically what you learn outside the classroom, for example, some of the programmes that we provide for the students empower them with tools such as how to draft a CV, or how to write a business plan. We also have financial literacy programmes, sporting events and events such as male and female talks in our residences so students engage more with each other."

School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences

Head of School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Professor Ntombovuyo Wayi-Mgwebi said the exhibition is for learners to know and understand what the school is looking for in students. 

"The programmes are aimed at assisting the students to be able to develop applications and also prepare them for various careers in ICT. From the learners, we realised that most of them are interested in the Bachelor of ICT. Their justification is that the diploma takes longer for them to reach the bachelor programme because they still need to do the advanced diploma,” she said.

Student Health and Wellness demonstrated how the university takes care of student's wellness during their study at UMP.

School of Agricultural Sciences

Head of School of Agricultural Sciences, Professor Funso Kutu, said: “We are here today to introduce to the learners the programmes that we have in our schools. We have programmes from diplomas to postgraduates’ certificates to masters’ programmes and PhD programmes but for today we are only going to talk about undergraduates programmes.”

“Our slogan is: Have you eaten today? If the answer is yes, you should thank the farmer. Most learners want to study agronomy which is a programme in plant production, where they are dealing with planting agronomic plants such as maize, sugar cane and sunflowers. Others were also interested in animal production. We are advising grade 11s and 12s to work on their English, either Mathematical literacy or pure Math because in our school everything is calculations,” he said.

Learners were eager to learn more about the programmes offered at UMP.

School of Social Sciences

Senior lecturer in the school of Social Sciences, Dr Tshepang Molale said the School of Social Sciences has exciting programmes such as heritage, gender studies, and history. He also shared news about yet another exciting programme called BAMCC Bachelor of Arts in Media Culture and Communication, which will begin in 2023.

He said: “If there is any learner who would like to come and study this programme, they are more than welcome because we talk about communication and media studies and culture. These are important programmes in the humanities because they teach us about our heritage, and where we come from and they also give a student an idea around how to find work in different sectors such as corporate communication, and journalism and participate in cultures such as culture and heritage. I sincerely hope that they will come and join us so that we embark on this journey together because they will be one of the first cohorts that we are going to produce in this programme."

Learners’ experiences on the day

Stacy Malinga, a Grade 12 learner from Khutsalani Secondary School, shared her thoughts on the Open Day: “This experience was important because we need to familiarise ourselves with the university environment so that when we get there we don’t feel out of place”.

“What I learned today is that UMP has a lot of different programmes that I think I can qualify for because of my APS. At first, I thought my APS was too low but with how the staff from the university explained and taught me how to count my APS I was able to see that I qualify for many programmes. I would like to apply for Nature Conservation mostly because I love nature and I would like to improve the natural state of Mpumalanga and most possibly the world,” she said.

“My highlight today was getting into the gate and seeing a learning institution and also getting the rush that this is the same place I will be enrolled in next year, this place is bigger than I thought, and I cannot wait to see the rest of it."

Learners listen attentively to the information provided.

Lihle Moncina, a Grade 12 learner from Khutsalani Secondary School, said: “I am here to find out types of careers that I can embark in and so that I can get more information and find what I am interested in since I am a little confused. I also wanted to know the environment in the university and what is expected of me since this is the last year of high school, which I now know, all thanks to the UMP staff,” she said.

“The highlight of my day was to see this place and it occurred to me that I am coming to this point of my life that I am about to become independent. I will be far away from my parents and I need to be responsible and socialise in a better way since I will be around a lot of people which I do not know.”

“I learned it is very good to know who you are and where you come from so that you don’t get confused by people and you don’t get easily influenced by new surroundings. I would like to study the Bachelor of Arts which I can major in Psychology for four years and six months,” she added.

The day ended with the earners being led on a tour of the Mbombela Campus.

@ Story Cleopatra Makhaga. Pictures @ChrisplPhoto.

Before studying at the University of Mpumalanga, Ubisi excelled in her role as teacher: “I managed to obtain the highest pass rate in 2016, resulting in being the best educator in the circuit. Because of my outstanding accomplishments, I was outsourced by various schools to assist with mathematics during weekends and recess periods. I was later given a part-time position as Head of Department, where I was responsible for moderating learners’ assessments and teachers’ files,” she said, adding that studying at UMP was a dream come true.

“I’ve received R5 000 four years in a row,” she said, adding that she sent it all to her mother who is looking after her five siblings and is dependent on social grants and money she makes from selling the vegetables they grow in their yard. 

Ubisi is currently a tutor of third-year plant production practice students at the university and says she is looking forward to a long career in academia.

Proud moment for former teacher and mother of two Rivoningo Ubisi.

For the 22-year-old Mkhwanazi, her graduation ceremony is the moment she had been looking forward to since she registered at the university. She found a friend, confidant and motivator in Ubisi. The two encouraged each other to excel and achieve the best marks each year.

Mkhwanazi was raised by a gardener father and an unemployed mother. She is the first to graduate in her family. Ubisi, a 31-year-old mother of two from the small village of Hlamalani in Bushbuckridge, left her job as a grade 12 Mathematics and Life Science teacher to pursue her studies at UMP.

She was recently awarded a HL Hall and Sons Gold Medal Award and a whopping R10 000 at the UMP Excellence Awards and the Vice Chancellor Scholarship Award ceremony that was recently held at Mbombela Campus.

“Through dedication and working hard, I achieved my goals and during my first year I got the Vice-Chancellor’s scholarship and almost all my educational needs were taken care of. Receiving the scholarship was the best thing because it did not only reduce the financial burden, it also offered workshops that involved improving personal development of students to reach their potential academically and outside school” she says.

Ubisi and Mkhwanazi are among 1 112 graduates who received their qualifications at this year’s graduations, the seventh for the varsity. They make up 67% of the female graduates.

@ Story by Cleopatra Makhaga. Additional Copy: Sunday World. Pictures Supplied.

Speaking at the event, UMP Vice-Chancellor Professor Thoko Mayekiso acknowledged the important role parents and guardians had to play in students’ academic journeys. The university, she said, was committed to upholding the highest standards of excellence in all actions, functions and services.

“We recognised early in our pioneering journey, ‘luhambo lwemhlahlandlela’ that excellence is at the heart of it all. The bedrock of all our pursuits as it were.”

Prof Mayekiso further said that, although celebrating academic excellence might seem like an automatic response that encourages those who have done well, “However, there are deeper messages in this ceremony: reminding us that it’s not always easy – but it can be done. What is more – when our values are aligned, great results ensue."

She added: "As we congratulate the recipients of the awards today – those people who constantly worked hard at improving themselves, those achievers who are forever striving to be a better version of themselves, always improving, always striving, never arriving, not being complacent but constantly in search for excellence.”

Professor Mayekiso further made mention of the works of Adam Grant, Think Again, as well as Stephen Schwarzman’s What is takes: Lessons in pursuit of excellence, and Ryan Hawk’s In search of excellence, which refers to the 12 Cs that manifest in the lives of those who excel.

The twelve Cs which she referred to include: Consistent, Committed, Courageous, Conscientious, Curious, Collaborative, Confident, Creative minds, Caring, Competence, Constructive, Clarity of thought.

“Congratulations and well done to those receiving awards today, you are so deserving. I congratulate you all for putting in the necessary effort, and contributing towards strengthening the UMP brand.”

Businessman Mr Sabelo Malalela delivered the keynote address.

Building a better tomorrow

Guest speaker and Chairman of Ziya Investments (Pty) Ltd, a former group commercial executive of the Bidvest Group Limited and a director of numerous companies in South Africa, Mr Sabelo Malalela lamented the state of South Africa.

“Our nation is in pain. What would be the role of UMP in easing this pain? The level of corruption. What can we do to create a culture that discourages corruption and promotes good corporate governance?

“I believe strongly that a university like the University of Mpumalanga has a serious role to play in helping us to find our moral compass. UMP is founded on the solid values of Excellence, Integrity, Diversity, Collaboration, Adaptability, Relevance and Inspiration," he added that his hope lies in the university’s vision to find hope for the nation.

“It is that positioning of being African that makes UMP relevant to the challenges we face as a nation. It is in the value of excellence and integrity that as a nation we will find our self-worth. The idea of stealing state resources will not arise. It is the value of excellence and integrity that as a nation we will find joy and pride in achieving success through honesty and hard work. The idea of short cuts, deceit and faking it until you make it will not arise,” he continued.

“I place my hope in all the graduates from UMP, that they will make a valuable contribution to our nation. They have been trained well and are grounded by the right value system. It is written that when we are in doubt, we shall see them by their fruits, so it is true with UMP, we shall see UMP by the products she produces, that indeed it is the African University of Excellence, Integrity, Diversity, Collaboration, Adaptability, Relevance and Inspiration.”

Fifteen students received awards, amongst which one was from the Keni Foundation, another from Sanlam, and three from HL Hall and Sons.

@ Story by Lisa Thabethe. Pictures supplied

Honourable Mashele, who hails from KaMalamule in Bushbuckridge sits on four Joint Committees: Constitutional Review, Mineral Resources Energy, Police and Public Works and Infrastructure. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government Administration, and a Development degree from the University of South Africa, and says receiving a qualification from UMP was a dream come true.

“As young activists we participated and lobbied for government to establish a university in Mpumalanga. So, when it was finally built and opened I wanted to be among those who have qualifications from the institution,” he says.

The politician, who is fondly known as Tim, believes that developmental studies will assist him in contributing towards and also building on and broadening his understanding of what is needed for the development of the province and the country.

Honourable Mashele, 41, registered at UMP in June 2019 and the following month he became a member of parliament which became a challenge for him. He says balancing his personal life and his studies was not an easy task.

“I was committed to making everything work out. Where there is a will it happens, that is why I manage to balance my time very well. It was difficult and not easy. However, I had to work an extra mile so that I can complete my studies on time,” adds the father of two who says he had to cut down on his leisure time and that often his time with his family was compromised.

Commitment and balance

He advised young people to stay in the university until they obtain their master's degrees before going to work and starting their families.

“Universities do not offer special treatment because someone is an adult, working or married,” he says, adding  that studying under the lockdown had its advantages and disadvantages.

"It would be a good thing if UMP can introduce remote studying full-time because it will continue to assist people who are always at work and have families to have a chance to study. People who stay far from the university will also have a chance to study without having had to travel in and out of the province,” he points out.

“The disadvantage was that we were all panicking because we were not sure how our studies were going to continue under the strict lockdowns, and the advantage was that we were allowed to study remotely, which succeeded."

Honourable Mashele graduated with an Honours Degree in Development Studies.

“We were treated the same which is a good thing. My message to young people who want to emulate me is that they must know that life will never be easy especially if one is a young man or woman from the rural dusty village of Mpumalanga. The good thing is that in South Africa it is possible for a child of a gardener or cleaner to study until completing their studies without paying a fee as long there is will power.”

He further urges young people to make sure they choose careers that offer them opportunities, and that they do not study just for the sake of studying. He also encourages locals to make use of the University of Mpumalanga, instead of moving to institutions outside of the province.

@ Story Lisa Thabethe. Pictures Supplied.

The team received fifth position, which goes with a trophy, out of the 16 teams that qualified for the 2021 National Competition.They also received a cash prize of R132 000 for their community development projects: Hatching Hope and Re-fuel. In addition to the cash prize and medals, the team of 10 UMP students was announced as ENACTUS Brand Ambassadors.

The UMP ENACTUS team received high accolades for Re-fuel, their recycling project which is aimed at converting plastic waste into fuel (both diesel and petrol) through a process known as pyrolysis. Project Hatching Hope is a multi-phased project, which last year focused on broiler production using an incubator for hatching.

Congratulating the team, Vice-Chancellor Professor Thoko Mayekiso said whenever a UMP member does well, the university at large benefits and the UMP brand gets enhanced.

“This is a heart-warming moment. UMP ENACTUS, you continue to make us very proud. Six trophies is a remarkable achievement. You have set the bar very high for those from UMP who will follow in your footsteps. What makes your success even sweeter, is the fact that is has been sustained. You are serving as inspiration to all of us, to create pools of excellence, even in instances where we find ourselves surrounded by seas of mediocrity," she said.

“The trap of mediocrity abounds. There are too many people in the sea of mediocrity. To get away from the crowd, therefore, individuals who excel have to continuously create a pool of excellence around themselves. They need to be the kind of people who are always willing to walk or run the extra mile.”

Professor Mayekiso further continued that through their hard work, dedication, and passion, the ENACTUS team's confidence has been given a boost, and that they need to safeguard and protect it. "As you continue to succeed, keep your feet on the ground and remain humble," she said.

“As I was reflecting on my congratulatory message, I thought I would share some thoughts from the book of Pat Mesiti: Dreamers Never Sleep. The telling point made is that people who are called dreamers, are the ones who do not sleep. They are the people who follow their dreams relentlessly, and want to see them come to fruition.

“Dreams are important, because they allow us to embark on a serious journey to pursue those dreams. Without a dream, we may struggle to see potential in ourselves because we don’t look beyond our current circumstances. But with a dream, we begin to see ourselves in a new light, as having greater potential and being capable of stretching and growing to reach it.

The people who succeed are the ones who have realised that life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but about learning to dance in the rain. Really not waiting for the situation to be ideal, but rather – toiling, tilling and tenaciously pursuing their goals. Continue working hard, having a vision, and never stop dreaming and working hard towards achieving those dreams,” she said.

Vice-Chancellor awarding the ENACTUS team members.

Making a difference

UMP ENACTUS coordinator, Dr Fedirnand Niyimbanira, noted that when UMP is supporting the team, it is providing a platform for students to give back to the community and make a difference.

“For one to change the world one has to be brave enough to care, that means ENACTUS members are learning how to be good and responsible students and that’s the purpose of any organisation of the university.”

He also mentioned that as the university grows in terms of student numbers, the ENACTUS team is also growing in many ways.

“I was alone when we started but now we are four, its not the number of students that are only growing also the academics joining the team is growing,” he said, mentioning that 2021 was not an easy year for the team.

Last year was tough because the national competition was held virtually for another consecutive year. We coordinated while students were still at home, but as Prof Mayekiso so keenly observed, our team is full of enthusiasm and energy. They are dedicated, and that is what ENACTUS is all about,” he said.

UMP ENACTUS coordinator, Dr Ferdinand Niyimbanira.

The ENACTUS team was under the leadership of Moses Timana, an MSc student who has participated in all activities. Timana won the 2021 Evan Poulos Award for Leadership Excellence, which is in recognition of excellence in leadership across all the active teams in the 21 South African Universities.

UMP ENACTUS team received the following prizes:

1. Ford C3 cycle 8, which is an ENACTUS special competition aimed at building sustainable communities.
2. ENACTUS UMP cycle 8 finalists of which each received $ 5 000 through the Hatching Hope project.
3. Harmony LED first place, the award came with R27 000.
4. Harmony Thematic Award (2nd place) focusing on Entrepreneurial Leadership and Business Solutions for Community Development. The team received R 1 000.
5. NEDBANK Thematic Award (2nd place) focusing on the triple bottom lines of sustainability.
They received R 1 000.
6. The FORD C3 cycle 7 award came with $ 5 000.

@ Story Lisa Thabethe. Pictures Supplied.

Ntimba (24) is the first and only graduate in her family. She received an academic excellence award for Best Initial Degree and a cash prize of R10 000 for her sterling academic performance. She says teaching has always been her childhood dream.

“I have always wanted to be a teacher, an agent of transformation who makes a difference in learners’ lives. As Nelson Mandela once said, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’. This is one of the reasons I studied teaching because I want to contribute to making that change,” she says.

After completing matric in 2015, Ntimba applied to study at UMP but could not pursue her studies due to financial constraints. But a call from the university changed her life. In 2016, she worked at a fruit farm to raise money to pay off the registration fee.  However the money was not sufficient, so she could not register.

“One of the joyful moments was when I received communication that I was accepted at UMP and they offered me a bursary to study teaching. I saw the opportunity as an escape from poverty. I worked hard to never jeopardise that opportunity. Being educated for me means that I can work, support my family, and live a better life.”

Motivated to excel

Ntimba comes from a township called Naas, and was raised by a single parent who sells vegetables for a living. She says growing up in a disadvantaged background motivated her to study harder to make a change in her life and that of her seven siblings.

Throughout her years at UMP, this high achiever has been a top performer receiving merits every year and was appointed as a Peer Tutor in Siswati and Mathematics, helping other students to achieve good grades.

“In 2019, 2020 and 2021, I was among the top 10 students and received R5 400. I sent the money home to assist where there is a need. In the 2018 intake, I received merit cash prizes yearly for academic excellence. To achieve excellence, one needs to be committed, competent, confident, passionate, and take ownership.”

She adds: “My biggest inspiration to be where I am today is my deprived background, family, high school teachers and hard work to never lose the bursary. I excelled because I wanted to set an example for my siblings and other youngsters that you should never let your background determine your future," she adds.

“It all pays off after all the hard work, struggles, downfalls and sleepless nights. Words that motivated me to work hard are from the famous poet and inspirational speaker, Maya Angelou, who said, ‘Nothing will work unless you do', meaning you need to work hard to achieve.”

Ntimba is currently searching for a teaching job. She plans to register towards a Bachelor of Education Honours Degree in 2023.

@ Story by Cleopatra Makhaga. Pictures supplied.

UMP signed up to participate in a tournament that was organised by Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University for teams to test themselves before the upcoming USSA national championship in July. The three-game lineup was important for UMP – not only to test themselves but also to select their team to represent the institution in the USSA championship. UMP came out firing in their first two clashes when they took on NWU and SMU, with the results in favour of UMP.

It was the last game against UL that UMP dominated every aspect of the game. However, they also made way too many costly mistakes which saw them narrowly missing out on making it three out of three.

UMP Volleyball ladies team.

The other institutions who took part in the tournament are, Sefako Makgatho, North West University, University of Limpopo, University of Johannesburg, Wits University and University of Venda. The results were as follows:

Men's team
1. UMP 01 vs 00 NMU
2. UMP 01 vs SMU
3. UMP 01 vs UL

Ladies' team 

UL Navigators VS UMP
Scores: 30:27
Points: 1:0

2. UL Navigators VS UMP
Scores: 30:21
Points: 1:0

3. NWU VS UMP
Scores: 30:20
Points: 1:0

4. SMU VS UMP
Scores: 30:19
Points 1:0

5. TUT VS UMP
Scores: 00:30
Points: 0:1

The team’s overall performance demonstrated a significant improvement when compared to previous years. UMP coach, Mr Sandile Nkosi, praised the team's performance and stressed that they need to improve so that marginal errors can be avoided.

This improvement could signal the start of big things to comes from UMP Volleyball.

@ Story and Pictures by UMP Sports.

This year's UMP celebrations focused on six African countries: Morocco, Senegal, Kenya, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Lesotho. Students showed their contributions with educational information, culture, dance, and food from each country.

Speaking at both events, UMP Vice-Chancellor Professor Thoko Mayekiso said Africa Day is a celebration of African unity. At the same time, it creates a platform for Africans to reaffirm their commitment towards working in partnership with other Africans to realise their potential by nurturing an environment that is conducive to prosperity, democracy and peace.

“This day provides African brothers and sisters from all over the continent with the opportunity to get to understand and appreciate one another. It provides us with an opportunity to distance ourselves from xenophobia and all the evils associated with it. We deny our humanity if we treat others differently because they come from another country, and worse if they come from another province within South Africa,” she said.

“As the UMP community, we embrace and celebrate our connectedness to the African continent in our very vision, which states: To be an African university leading in creating opportunities for sustainable development through innovation. We believe that Africa Day provides us with an excellent opportunity to advance our vision, and in particular live our value of diversity.”

Professor Samba Buri Mboup from Senegal delivered the keynote address at both events.

Professor Mayekiso further added that UMP is an African university that seeks to recognise, affirm and entrench the African experience and context within the academic project.

“The vision prompts and propels us to have a keen interest in what happens on the continent and to be passionate about playing our role to ensure that the continent succeeds.

Our research and development agenda, our innovation initiatives, and our noblest endeavours should be about improving the continent and optimising its resources. Commemoration days like this one serve as reminders that there is a lot to do out there. Our identity and humanity as Africans are worthy of being respected and celebrated,” she added.

“We know very well that education is critical to development. We have to continue to work hard towards the economic transformation of our continent. My invitation is to students and staff alike to use these platforms to educate us about Africa.”

Richness of Africa

The colourful and diverse event was honoured by the keynote speaker, Senegalese Professor Samba Buri Mboup, who said the significance of Africa Day is that it’s a landmark in the chain of interconnected struggles through space and time on the continent, outside the continent that is marked, and it is important.

“To underline that, marked by the permeance of resistance of our people against oppression. The dominant discussions tend to present us as passive people, but we have always been struggling from oppression and we have won because our history is also the history of great achievements,” he said.

Talking about Africa is talking about a huge continent. Wthin Africa you can put the USA, China and almost the rest of the world and there can still be some space left. This can be exemplified not as we look at the world as represented in the classical map, the map that we know is a false map and doesn’t represent the real proportions.

UMP celebrations focused on six African countries: Morocco, Senegal, Kenya, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Lesotho.

Professor Samba continued that the African population is estimated at 1.5 billion.

“And to those who try to tell us we are too many Africans and that we should make fewer babies and sometimes they help our women to make fewer babies. Demography when managed adequately can be a powerful tool for development and social progress.

The demographic profile states that Africa has a young population whereas some parts of the world, if not all of them, have a predominantly aged or ageing population. Having a young population as part of the demography profile is very important; it only needs to be managed adequately.”

He further said: “Africa is known as a rich resource base that has served Africans and also the rest of humanity. Africa has contributed to science first as the cradle of humankind and human civilisation. Generally, people agree now that Africa is the cradle of humankind but like to forget that second element that Africa is also the cradle of civilisation and it is important to bear that in mind.”

UMP Mbombela and Siyabuswa campuses celebrated Africa Day with a series of activities.

During the two-day celebration, students showcased their diversity by presentating attire and foods from Morocco, Senegal, Kenya, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Lesotho.

At the Mbombela campus, after judges deliberated on whose food was the most delicious, it was concluded that the 3rd place winner was represented by Morocco, 2nd place Rwanda. Lesotho took number one spot.

At Siyabuswa, the third place was taken by Democratic Republic of Congo, second was Kenya and Lesotho was number one.

@ Story by Cleopatra Makhaga. Pictures by ChrisplPhoto

The tree, known locally as umKhanyakude (which translated means ‘seen from afar’), is also known as a yellow-barked fever tree (acacia xanthophloea). It is a striking and visually pleasing indigenous tree that occurs naturally in northern KZN, the Gauteng Lowveld, and the Kruger National Park.

Speaking at the tree planting ceremony, UMP Chancellor, Judge Maya requested that a bench be placed underneath the tree. “It is my wish to see this tree used as a gathering spot where people can sit and discuss whatever thoughts are milling in their minds,” she said.

“Thank you so much for honouring me in this way. The meaning of this is to plant me personally in this beautiful university situated in this beautiful province of Mpumalanga. This is an umbilical cord that I hope will keep us together until the end of time.”

 The tree-planting ceremony kickstarted the seventh graduation ceremony.

UMP Chairperson of Council, Professor Mabunda said the institution decided to plant the tree because it was very close to the people’s inner beings.

“The tree is used to honour people or to show love because it is a phenomenon that is being used internationally. Like Americans respect and use the redwood tree, the Europeans respect the Oaktree, while Africa uses the Baobab tree,” he continued.

“In modern humanity, we embrace trees and forestry in such a way that, for example, in Japan they use forest therapy and forest bathing as a spiritual way to help people heal via the natural presence of trees. Trees are important because they help produce the oxygen we need to breathe. Soon we will be planting many more trees around campus,” said Mabunda.

Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Professor Moses Mbewe said the kind of tree that was planted in the institution's yard was important as its roots grow and spread so that it becomes helpful to fight soil erosion.

“umKhanyakude is an indigenous tree that grows well, is remarkable, and cannot go unnoticed. It is a beautiful tree with a striking shape that forms good shade under which people can sit and relax.”

The tree-planting ceremony also kickstarted the seventh graduation ceremony, held to celebrate the achievements of students who have completed their qualifications during past academic year.

@ Story by Lisa Thabethe. Pictures Supplied.