Gifts were showering like summer rain during the graduation celebration of Supt Ailwei Mushavhanamadi of the Limpopo police at the weekend.

Dignitaries like the SAPS Deputy Provincial Commissioner, Celiwe Binta, Thovhele Kennedy Midiyavhathu Tshivhase, Univen Registrar, Mr Khuliso Namadzivhanani, Thovhele Gole Mphaphuli and the dean of the School of Law at Univen, Prof Obeng Mireku, were part of the historic gathering held at Mushavhanamadi’s home at Ngovhela-Tshiavha on Saturday.

Despite his busy schedule, Mushavhanamadi received his LLB degree from the University of Venda on Friday. He also holds a BA Criminal Justice and BA Honours (Criminal Justice) from the same institution.

Mushavhanamadi said he decided to stage a celebration to encourage the youth to take education seriously. "I did not do this for name or fame. My heart bleeds for the future of the young generation and I must demonstrate to them that nothing is more important than education. I also want to show everyone that it is possible to achieve educational dreams even when one is employed. I always have to battle to balance my private life, work commitments and community involvement activities. It has never been easy to accomplish all these, but I worked hard until I arrived where I am today. I therefore urge my younger brothers and sisters to make the hay while the sun shines by going to school while they are still young," said an excited Mushavhanamadi.

The guest speaker, Prof Obeng Mireku from the University of Venda, said Mushavhanamadi will undoubtedly become a good lawyer, because of the friendships he had made in his social life. "I know he has worked hard and faced up to his challenges. He has studied law and found out that this learning field is more challenging than he first expected. He has met his obstacles and today’s celebration testifies to the fact that, indeed, he has overcome his obstacles. He has been taught to question, challenge, analyse and argue and we hope that these qualities will make him a better lawyer whom we will all be proud of," Mireku said.

Thovhele Kennedy Tshivhase said the democratic world of today needs people like Mushavhanamadi. "He is a symbol of success and a shining example of what hard work, determination and dedication are all about."

Mushavhanamadi joined the police service in 1984. Through his hard work he was promoted from constable to sergeant in 1987. He was a warrant officer from 1990 until he was promoted to the rank of captain in 1995. In 2005, he became a superintendent. Apart from the university degrees, Mushavhanamadi attended different courses which equipped him with the necessary knowledge required in his job. These include the Riot and Crowd Control Management Course, Detective Training, Media Handling, and Crisis Communication Management, to name but a few.

Among his memorable awards, Mushavhanamadi has a recommendation certificate for playing an essential role in saving life and property during a hostage drama at Univen in 1996. In 2001, he was announced the best SAPS announcer for crime prevention in Limpopo. 2001 saw Fast Forward College of Commerce and Technology recognize him for being the best communications officer in the far north. The Makhado Tribal Authority awarded him for being a distinctive community builder in 2003. In 2004, the Calvary Christian Church handed him the Calvary Decade Award for crime prevention. He has also been honoured by several communities and institutions on countless occasions.