Prof Alfred Nevhutanda has been hailed as an intellectual who has kept his feet firmly on the ground. He has become a living example that humble beginnings could have happy endings and that only hard work, perseverance and dedication could lift a rural boy to head higher offices in Pretoria. Nevhutanda was honoured for having climbed the managerial ladder and now chairing the National Lottery, amongst others. The glittering function, organized by the Thohoyandou Branch of the Black Management Forum (BMF), drew people from the whole spectrum, including academics, traditional leaders, government officials, politicians and business personalities and was recently held at the Khoroni Hotel. Nevhutanda was honoured for having climbed the managerial ladder and now chairing the National Lottery, amongst others. Earlier that day, Nevhutanda had encouraged students from Vhembe FET, where he was the guest speaker during a diploma and certificate ceremony. Prof Tshilidzi Marwala said Nevhutanda had demonstrated that everyone could transcend the constraints that society had placed upon them. He added that he and Nevhutanda were born and bred in the same village and were mentored by the late Chief Gilbert Ligege. “The chief consistently instilled in us that education is important; that education is a primary motive force for the development of society” He also applauded Nevhutanda as a gifted musician, a dedicated and hardworking politician, a teacher, an educator and a businessman par excellence. Prof Nevhutanda boasts of two PhDs and an MBA. Guests were entertained by veteran Venda music king and SATMA award winner Solomon Mathase who kept the spirits of the guests high through his traditional guitar playing skills.