MUYEXE students were praised for successfully completing their national diploma in public finance management and administration, a course they were enrolled in by the Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) in 2012.
The enrolment was part of the Presidential Rural Development Programme, in Muyexe village in Giyani, aimed at empowering the impoverished community with skills that they could use to make a living on their own.
Only two of the original number of students who enrolled did not complete the course; one student dropped out and another passed away.
“In some provinces where we implemented this project, you’d find that the whole class drops out, resulting in the cancellation of the project,” said the CEO of Seta, Shamira Huluman, during the graduation ceremony, which was held at the Giyani Science Centre on Friday.
She praised the students and wished them well, saying they had shown much perseverance and dedication to their work.
Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Matimba Mabunda thanked Seta for affording them an opportunity, which they would otherwise not have had because of their poor backgrounds.
“This was a lifetime opportunity for us, this is why we made sure we all worked together so that we could pass the course,” he said.
“Some of the graduates are married, but they still worked in groups late at night, as accounting was not an easy subject. Thanks to team work, we passed,” he added.
Greater Giyani mayor, Tintswalo Baloyi, said when the graduates were employed, this would reduce the large number of unemployed young people in the area.
“Currently, the statistics on unemployed youth in Giyani stands at 61%, which is not acceptable. It is only through education that our young people can move forward and change this situation,” she said.
