One of the top achievers in Limpopo in last year’s matric exams, Ranwaha Nzudzanyo from Thohoyandou, received a full tertiary scholarship from President Thabo Mbeki at the Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria last week.

The scholarship, granted through the newly established Thabo Mbeki Matric Merit Award programme, recognises learners who have achieved academic excellence in their matriculation examinations. Nzudzanyo of the Thengwe Secondary School in the Mutale District, elected to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cape Town. He was the second best student in the Vhembe District and one of his achievements is full marks (400 out of a possible 400) for Physical Science.

He received a financial grant covering the cost of tuition, books and accommodation for the academic year. In addition, he was presented with a laptop computer and a 3G communications card, courtesy of Lenovo and Vodacom respectively. He will continue to receive financial aid for the duration of his degree, subject to his achieving academic excellence for each year of study.

Administered by the Thabo Mbeki Education Trust, the programme selects two of the most outstanding Matric learners from each province – 18 in total. The scholarships are awarded irrespective of the field of study the learners wish to pursue. The other 17 learners elected to study for a wide range of degrees including Finance, Law, Physiotherapy, Engineering, Theology, Medicine and Accountancy.

“The combined value of the scholarships over the duration of the 18 learners’ studies will be approximately R4 million,” said Dr Hasmukh Gajjar, Chairman of the Thabo Mbeki Education Trust. “These scholarships ensure that the learners are equipped with sufficient funding and the latest technology to complete their studies efficiently and without any financial concerns.”

At the reception, Pres Mbeki emphasised the need for the learners to continue maintaining their academic excellence throughout their studies, thus equipping them with the skills necessary to make a positive contribution to the future economic growth and development of South Africa. As a condition of the scholarship, learners are required to become ambassadors of the Thabo Mbeki Education Trust, communicating their achievements and successes in order to encourage future Matrics to strive for academic excellence.

The Minister of Education, Ms Naledi Pandor, Mr Rashid Wally from Lenovo and Mr Shameel Joosub from Vodacom joined Mbeki in congratulating the learners.

The Thabo Mbeki Education Trust was created to provide financial support for the tertiary education of students in the fields of technology and economics. The Trust has expanded to incorporate additional initiatives and has supported over 250 students through its scholarship programmes to date. The Thabo Mbeki Matric Merit Award programme is the first in a number of new developments that the Trust is planning to roll out during the course of the year.