THOHOYANDOU - Rambani Raphulu, a science student at Mbilwi Secondary School in Sibasa, will jet off to London to attend the annual International Youth Science Forum at the end of this month.

Raphulu is one of the top five science pupils in the country and Iscor and the South Africa Agency for Science and Technology will sponsor the trip.

Other students who are going to take part are Marc Baggenstos of the Deutsche Internationale Schule in Cape Town, Elsabe Smit of the Hoërskool Hermanus, Elizna Rossouw of the Hoërskool Brandwag in the Eastern Cape and Nashvin Gangaram of the Stanger Manor High School in KwaZulu-Natal.

Raphulu, who was over the moon when he received the news, told Mirror that, with science, the sky is the limit. “Pupils must stop undermining the development of science because it plays a big role in people’s lives from time to time. For quite a long time when we were growing up, we were told that science is a very difficult subject, but what I have realized is that it is not difficult before you prove it by practicing and committing yourself to it,” says Raphulu.

Mbilwi’s principal, Mr Nditsheni Ramugondo, said he was happy with the performance of Raphulu and that this will en-courage other students at school. “We used to send students to London each an every year since 1980, during the existence of the former Venda homeland. Mbilwi has been participating in the Science Olympiad organised by the then Foundation for Education Science and Technology, which is now called the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement.

“Raphulu will be back to South Africa in August 12, 2004,” said Ramugondo.