PhD for Ngwathe’s water services manager
His thesis focused on Utilizing Clay-magnetic Moringa oleifera pods for pollutant removal from water.
On Monday, Ngwathe Local Municipality’s Water Services Manager, Mokete Phele, received his PhD in Chemistry at the Vaal University of Technology’s Vanderbijlpark Campus’ graduation function.
Born in Parys in 1985, Phele started his school career at Lembethe Primary School, and matriculated at Boitlamo Secondary School.
After a short stint in economics at Vista University, he shifted paths and found his calling in chemistry at the Vaal University of Technology.
His career took him across South Africa — from Mossel Bay with PetroSA, to Richards Bay, Sasolburg, and Boskop, working for top companies including Omnia Holdings and Rheinmetall Denel Ammunition as a lab analyst, lab technician, and senior chemist, respectively. Later, he moved into the public sector as a technical manager for Maluti-a-Phofung Water in Phuthaditjhaba.
He then returned to his hometown Parys to work for the Ngwathe local municipality as the manager responsible for Water Services.
Phele recently won first place in the Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences’ Research Excellence Awards (2025).
