Dr Timothy Mbhalati, manager of Shiluvana Circuit of the Department of Education, received the Kader Asmal Excellence Award at the 21st National Teaching Awards recently. He attained the third position and took home a bronze medal. The award was given to a manager who works towards the former minister of Education, Kader Asmal’s, legacy. Nominees had to have more than 30 years in the education sector and during that period had to have left a recognisable mark.

Mbhalati told the Herald that he was excited and humbled to have been chosen as one of the best managers in the country. Some of his achievements include producing a number of medical doctors as a teacher and the turning around of Mawawa High School’s performance during the riots in the 1990s as a principal.

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He also influenced the renovating of the girls hostel at Mawawa and the building of an administration block and five classrooms at the same school. As a circuit leader he was influential in the betterment of Grade 12 final results in his circuit ass well as introducing teaching and learning strategies from 2008. He also adopted Xihoko Circuit and as a result their pass rate has improved. Mopani West district manager, Philipine Modika, described Mbhalati as a hardworking and selfless individual.

“We nominated him at a district level for the award unopposed. “This is because of the enormous contribution that he has made to the education sector. “For him to obtain the first position provincially and third at a national level, befits the recognition he deserves from everyone within district and province,” she said.