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31/10/2013

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University has again acknowledged sterling examples of excellent student leadership.   At the annual Achievers Awards on 28 October, no less than 35 awards were made to students or student societies that had excelled in excellence across all spheres of student life at the university’s George Campus.

Awards were made in the categories of Student Governance and Development, Arts and Culture, Student Residences, Sport and overall student leadership - a highlight being the Campus Principal Leadership Excellence Award.

Students themselves bore testimony to their diverse talents by welcoming guests and executing the functions of master of ceremonies and the cultural programme accompanying this gala event which was held at the Fancourt Conference Centre.

NMMU Deputy Vice Chancellor: Academic, Professor Piet Naudé, delivered an inspiring address to the more than a hundred guests who shared this special “evening of the stars” with the excelling students and a proud Campus Principal, Prof Quinton Johnson.   The First Citizen of George, Mayor Charles Standers, president of the George Business Chamber, Dr Willie Cilliers, NMMU Deans and executive staff members, principals of NMMU’s top partners schools in the Southern Cape, representatives of the South Cape College and other tertiary institutions, and numerous executives from the region’s sporting fraternity were also present in true “town and gown” fashion to celebrate the students’ achievements.

Campus Principal Leadership Excellence Award

No less than six deserving students (three male and three female) were shortlisted as finalists for the Campus Principal Leadership Excellence Award. The finalists who received Certificates of Recognition of Leadership Excellence included BCom student and Miss NMMU George 2013, Danicka Riehl; Rochelle van Rooyen, a 2nd year BEd (FET) student who is also the chairperson of the Super Ed society which was acknowledged as the Academic Society of the Year; Anathi Masebeni, who was re-elected as chairperson of the NMMU George Student Council for 2014, as well as senior education student, Roelof Steyl. 

The ultimate winners in this prestigious category – Tatenda Mapeto and Hannes van Zyl – are both accomplished masters’ students (Forestry – Faculty of Science, School of Natural Resource Management) at the NMMU (George Campus).  They were acknowledged for their proven leadership in various spheres and significant contributions to student life.  In addition to the Campus Principal Leadership Excellence Award, both received a book prize, very aptly titled, Voices from the Forest: Celebrating Nature and Culture in Xhosaland, authored by Tony Dold and Michelle Cocks.

More on Tatenda Mapeto

Tatenda Mapeto, who passed her BTech degree (Forestry) with distinction last year and who is currently busy with her master’s degree, has proven her leadership abilities in various spheres. She is a netball team leader, and provides student support via various on-campus structures, such as being a supplementary instruction (SI) leader for junior students, a Moodle e-pal facilitator, as well as an assistant for students with disabilities.   She is a member of various student societies, some of which she serves in a leadership capacity on an international level, such as being the (2013) SA Regional Representative for the International Forestry Student Association (IFSA).  She served as the international conference secretary of the IFSA organizing committee entrusted with the responsibility of organizing their conference in 2013.  This energetic young woman is also a part-time lecturer and has made various academic presentations, such as presenting on the findings of her research during the 2013 NMMU Glenwood ScieX.

More on Hannes van Zyl

Fellow master’s student, Hannes van Zyl, scooped the Campus Principal Leadership Excellence Award in the male category.  Like Mapeto, he excels academically, having received academic merit awards annually over the past few years, including the prestigious PG Bison Award for Excellence in Silviculture. He has also served on various forums of the International Forestry Student Association (IFSA), amongst others as the 2012 and 2013 SA Regional Representative, Chairperson of the IFSA SARM in 2013, as well as heading up IFSA’s Web Commission in 2013. He is a junior lecturer in Forest Engineering, e-pal facilitator for the past three years, class representative and blended learning committee member. 

He has a proven track record of participation in outreach and community initiatives such as the CANSA Relay, serving as a volunteer school bus driver and has given numerous talks at schools.  He has also delivered several academic papers.

Sport

Cricket was the shining star amongst all the sporting codes that vied for attention at this year’s NMMU (George Campus) Achievers Awards.

The Sport Club of the Year Award went to NMMU George Cricket Club - the club which had no less than three members represented in the SWD Senior Team. This award was accepted by Arnold Eshmade on behalf of the club.

The accolade for Sport Team of the Year went to the NMMU George Cricket team, with the award being accepted on behalf of the team by the captain, Lyndon Volkwyn.

It should come as no surprise that the NMMU George Sportsman of the Year 2013 was scooped by a seasoned cricket player - Kobus Scholtz - whose exceptional performance with the bat had secured him the Player of the Tournament Award at the 2012 USSA Cricket tournament.   Scholtz was a member of the NMMU George Team that won SWD Cricket Promotion League, as well as the team which took a silver medal in the C Section of the 2012 USSA Cricket tournament. He also received the Batsman of the USSA Tournament Award for scoring 494 runs in 5 innings at an average of 123.5 runs. This included 3 hundreds and a highest score of 188.

The number one-ranked lady in student surfing in South Africa, Roxanne Giles, took the honours as the NMMU George Sportswoman of the Year 2013.  She won the ladies competition at the 2013 USSA Surfing Championships held at Vic Bay earlier this year, after qualifying for the semi-finals in both the U-20 ladies at the RVCA Surfing Series and the Billabong Junior Series held at Jeffrey’s Bay in March and April 2013 respectively.  She represented the Southern Cape at the Surfing SA Championships where she had also made it to the semi-finals.

Sport Merit Awards

All in all thirteen students received Sport Merit Awards for excelling in sport codes recognised by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC). They have all achieved at least senior provincial colours in the respective codes.  The recipients were:

Body Boarding: Tiaan Hoeben

Cricket: Gareth Dukes, Kobus Scholtz and Lyndon Volkwyn

Hockey: Craig Clowes, Marolene Gouws, Loren Hiley, Tanya Koorts and Emma Wiley

Kickboxing: Ruan Knobel

Rugby:  Lodewickus Louwrens

Show Jumping: Ivan van der Sijde

Surfing:  Roxanne Giles

Student Housing Awards

The award for the House Committee Member of the Year was scooped by Siviwe Sawuti, while Luthuli Mbali was named the Mentor of the Year.  Ladies residence, Outeniqua, was named the Residence of the Year, with the award being received on behalf of the student by Yolanda Dlepu. The award of Residence all-rounder of the Year went to Sean Richter.

Arts and Culture

The awards recipients in this category were Spesande Nomlala - Arts and Culture Member of the Year with the NMMU George Campus Choir being named the Arts and Culture Society of the Year. The choir’s chairperson, Yolanda Dlepu, accepted the award on behalf of the choir.

Student Governance and Development

Thomas Mthethwa was named the Society Administrator of the Year.  Benjamin Leshoai was selected as the Student Council Member of the Year, and SASCO took the honours as the Political Society of the Year. The Christian Centre and Student Forestry Association were named the Religious Society and Society of the Year respectively, while the education students, under the banner of Super Ed, took the lead as the Academic Society of the Year.

Rochelle van Rooyen, Danicka Riehl and Tatenda Mapeto

Winning trio… Rochelle van Rooyen, Danicka Riehl and Tatenda Mapeto were acknowledged as finalists in the Campus Principal Leadership Excellence Award. Tatenda Mapeto, a master’s student at NMMU George was selected as the ultimate winner of the female category of this prestigious award.

 

Rudolf Steyl, Anathi Masebeni and Hannes van Zyl

The male finalists in the Campus Principal Leadership Excellence Award were Rudolf Steyl, Anathi Masebeni and Hannes van Zyl, flanked here by Proff Piet Naudé (left) and Quinton Johnson (right), the  Campus Principal.  Hannes van Zyl, also a master’s student scooped the ultimate prize – the Campus Principal Leadership Excellence Award, in the male category.

Roxanne Giles

NMMU George Campus Sportswoman of the Year, star surfer, Roxanne Giles, being congratulated by Hugo Loubser (Sport Manager), Prof Quinton Johnson (Campus Principal) and Prof Piet Naudé (right), the NMMU DVC: Academic.

Kobus Scholtz, Lyndon Volkwyn and Arnold Eshmade

Cricket was the shining star amongst the sporting codes acknowledged at this year’s NMMU (George Campus) Achievers Awards.  Sport Manager, Hugo Loubser (left), Albertus Kennedy (CEO of SWD Cricket)  and Rudi Claassen (President of SWD Cricket, far right)  congratulated star cricketers, Kobus Scholtz (Sportsman of the Year 2013, third from left), Lyndon Volkwyn, Captain of the NMMU George Cricket Team  and Arnold Eshmade, chairperson of the NMMU George Cricket Club.

Benjamin Leshoai

Benjamin Leshoai was acknowledged as the Student Council member of the year. He was congratulated by Proff Quinton Johnson (left) and Piet Naudé (right).

Yolanda Dlepu and Noluthando Nakani

The NMMU George Campus Choir was the winner in the category Arts and Culture Society of the Year.  Yolanda Dlepu (right) and Noluthando Nakani accepted the award from Proff Johnson (left) and Naudé (right).

Sakhile Sincuba and Phindiwe Qungani

Sakhile Sincuba and Phindiwe Qungani (centre) representing the NMMU George Christian Centre as the winning religious society, with Proff Quinton Johnson (left) and Piet Naudé (right). 

Rochelle van Rooyen and Precious Mahlangu

Education students, Rochelle van Rooyen and Precious Mahlangu, accepted the reward for the best Academic Society on behalf of Super Ed. 

Khanyisa Thwala, Dineo Sitando and Yolande Dlepu

Proudly Outeniqua… the Outeniqua ladies residence took the honours as the Residence of the Year.  Residence Manager, Ms Vuyiswa Gozongo-Mentile (third from left) joined the triumphant Outeniqua residents, Khanyisa Thwala (second from left), Dineo Sitando (centre) and Yolande Dlepu (right).  They were also congratulated by the Campus Principal, Prof Quinton Johnson (Left) and the DVC: Academic, Prof Piet Naudé (right).

Spesande Nomlala

Arts and Culture Member of the Year, Spesande Nomlala with Proff Quinton Johnson and Piet Naudé (right).

Mbali Luthuli

Mbali Luthuli, the Mentor of the Year was congratulated by Prof Quinton Johnson (Left) and Prof Piet Naudé (right).

Thomas Mthethwa

Thomas Mthethwa was acknowledged for his skills by being named the Society Administrator of the Year.  He is featured here with Proffs Prof Quinton Johnson (Left) and Piet Naudé (right).

 

Contact information
Ms Alet van Tonder
Manager: Marketing & Corporate Relations
Tel: 27 44 801 5098
alet.vantonder@mandela.ac.za