As part of ensuring that schools are ready to receive learners for the academic year 2025, the Gauteng Provincial Government has mandated MECs of the province to visit various schools in order to assess their state of readiness as learners return to schools.
MEC for Gauteng Department of e-Government, Bonginkosi Dhlamini went on a campaign on
Friday, 17 January 2025 visiting schools in Soweto to assess their state of readiness.
At his first stop at the Anchor High school at Zone 1 Meadowlands, Soweto, MEC Dhlamini took to podium and addressed the learners instilling discipline with the message to respect their educators at school. He highlighted that at some point that the school together with Pace college were the elite schools in Soweto. “As a result of such a long standing legacy, you the current learners are fortunate to be part of such rich history.” He mentioned. “Let us respect the schools as community members because they are centers of excellence!
“In the same vein I want to thank Madam Principal Patricia Mokoena and her teaching staff for the school’s achievement! As my department is about technology, I want to produce here ICT Engineers, that we will train and hire to work as our engineers. As the future is about digitization throughout, that is the reason we’ve handed the schools the Wi-Fi with the set amount of gigabytes of data each day because we’re shaping our future. Your data lately is as essential as your water and oxygen. We are here to equip you our learners ensuring that you do not get left behind.
Learn from me because I also attended this school with the utmost discipline. Compete with your studies and school achievements and not with the hype and feuds that are rife in schools. Build your future, listen to your teachers, pass, achieve beyond matric and acquire the skill that you can sell to the world and be at your best.” Reiterated MEC Dhlamini.
The MEC presented the CCTV cameras that his department donated to the school accompanied by representatives from VUMA Cam. The company that is commissioned by the e-Government department to help combat crime with the surveillance infrastructure around the Gauteng province. Further the school shoes donations were handed to the school Principal, including the soccer kit. I appeal to learners that “when you wear the school shoes, please don’t play soccer with them, but respect your pair.” Stated Ma’am Mokoena.
The jubilant Principal Mokoeana mentioned that her school obtained a 92.8 matric pass with 72 meritorious distinctions. “One learner Nicole Ndaweni acquired 7 distinctions, and her counterparts followed her with six distinctions respectively. We conduct extra classes in the school that I supervise especially through to the evenings. The education district also gives support by their presence. We have Wi-Fi in all the classrooms and the equipment is well secure. We thank the e-Government department for their much needed support. Furthermore, we have strategies in place to assist progressed learners in the route to achive the goal of 100 per cent matric pass achievement.”
Gracing the occasion also was the stunning reigning Miss Soweto Queen Mbali Khumalo. As the school conducts pageants around September it augurs well that the school will have a crowned mentor. With much ululations as she took to podium, Mbali mentioned that “attending school is very important in shaping one’s life. I wouldn’t be here in front of you and attending varsity without taking school seriously and putting effort in my education. Focus on achieving your dreams and don’t waste time with mischief at school. Every single one of you has the potential to become anything that you want to achieve in life. Be the star that shines! She enthused.
Mbali further elaborated that schools should be technologically advanced here in Soweto and everywhere in the country for our youth. A Wits undergraduate, she underscores that the social interventions during her reign would focus on spreading the word on mental illness awareness and education, the anomalies that remain overlooked in communities. “It’s okay not to be okay. She concluded.”
The school’s learners Deputy President Nonkululeko Mosiane rendered a speech on e-Government as a public sector the spearheads digital information and communication skills within communities, improving information and directly empowering the citizen in decision making and making the Government more accountable, transparent and effective in delivering e-services to its people. It also helps the learners effectively with online home-work interventions with a caution to learners not to be spoon-fed and get slacking in doing their school work.
Jerry Sokhupe
Soweto Sunrise News
