Speech by Deputy Minister in The Presidency, Nonceba Mhlauli, on the occasion of the Blouberg Annual Career Expo, Senwabarwana Sports Complex, Bochum, Limpopo

Kgoshi Maleboho,
Cllr Maria Thamaga,
Executive Director Mr Kolobo,
Our educators present,
Distinguished guests, especially our learners joining us here today from schools throughout the Capricorn District.

I would like to start off by thanking the Blouberg Municipality for organising this very important exhibition. Many children from working class families and communities at many times go to post school education institutions without having been to career exhibitions of this nature.

We are therefore very thrilled to be here to witness such a wonderful collaboration with all social partners to uplift our communities.

The importance and significance of this day is the fact that career exhibitions play a crucial role in bridging the gap between education and employment. They provide you, learners and job seekers with a unique opportunity to explore various career paths, interact with industry professionals, and gain insights into the skills and qualifications required for different roles especially in related STEAM careers.

This event today should use as networking opportunities that can help some of you to make informed decisions about your future careers.

Additionally, career exhibition should inspire you and as you go around different stands, you will see emerging trends in various fields, thereby serving as motivation to pursue your passions with greater clarity and confidence.

Overall, career exhibitions are generally invaluable in fostering a well-informed and motivated workforce, which is essential for both personal and community development. We want to congratulate and further thank you again but encourage you Mayor, and your collective to make more partnerships and collaborations of this nature that take our people, in particular young people forward.

Thank you for this opportunity to visit this awesome foothill of the Blue Mountain, otherwise known as Bochum.

This site stands as a historic landmark for the resistance and fortitude of the indigenous people of this land. It is significant and timeous that you choose to host this important Expo in the month of July, for this is the month in which the founding father of this great clan, Kgoshi Kalusi Maleboho, led a fierce resistance against the colonial hut taxes back in July 1894.

Despite the oppressor’s attempts to paraffin and burn down huts and the surrounding forests, they stood together in unison and remain an inspiration to the people of South Africa and beyond.

It is also relevant for our discussion today, that when Kgoshi Meleboho led his people to settle here, he was about 30 years old. By the time of the resistance he would have been about 50 years old. This confirms two things.

First, it is the youth who must lead the transformation and progress of our society. Secondly, skill and talent are pointless if it is not in the service of a nation.

It was the Bolivian revolutionary Jose Marti who reminded us that “talent is a gift that brings with it an obligation to serve the world, and not ourselves”.

No doubt, it was this outlook and spirit of Kgoshi Kalusi Maleboho that would inspire the youth of 76’ and subsequent generations, including our fees must fall generation. From Mankweng, Soweto, Umlazi, Gugulethu and all parts of South Africa, urban and rural, they took up the mantle and confronted the racist regime and this caught the collective imagination of the world of the injustices and criminality of the apartheid system.

Theirs was a determination and resolve to criticise, arouse hatred and ultimately overthrow of the racial tyranny and exploitation that characterised the apartheid regime. This constant mobilisation led to the 1994 moment, that ushered a new age of hope for our country.

We, the youth of today, have a duty to construct the South Africa and Africa we want, as imagined by the youth of the ’70s. For it was Steve Biko who said “in time we shall be in a position to bestow upon South Africa, the greatest gift possible – a more human face”.

This will require not only our voices, but also unity in action, determination and the right set of skills. We must reconstruct a new, free, united, democratic and prosperous South Africa.

In that reconstruction, and in the context of today's rapidly evolving world, we see the work done by the KOSTA Foundation as cardinal. Indeed, the promotion of the integration of STEAM disciplines is more important than ever before.

However, we remain conscious that government cannot solve the myriad of challenges alone. It will require all of society.

Therefore, we wish to commend you for inviting Government, private sector as represented by De Beers and other stakeholders. The President always emphasises the need not to work in silos but work collectively.

The focus of KOSTA Foundation in the fields of STEAM are key to driving our economy to its commanding heights. These fields are not just about individual success; they are about collective progress. They hold the key to solving some of the most pressing challenges we face, from climate change to healthcare, from education to economic development.

By fostering careers in these areas, we can drive meaningful change and create a brighter future for all.

We repaired and refurbished 11,077 schools, provided water infrastructure to 2,459 schools, electrified 8,313 schools, provided fencing to 5,605 schools, and added 115,512 additional classrooms to alleviate overcrowding.

By August 2023, under the Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI), 329 state-of-the-art schools have been built. These replaced the 510 schools identified in 2011 as made from inappropriate materials. Since 2018, the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) programme has equipped 3,015 schools with age-appropriate and safe sanitation facilities following the tragedies of a few learners drowning in pit latrines.

Furthermore, the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) has constructed 15,000 sanitation facilities at 1,047 schools. President Cyril Ramaphosa has tasked the new Minister of Basic Education to make sure that the remaining 280 schools receive dignified sanitation facilities, but rest assured, the democratic determined to complete these installations by the end of the 2024/25 financial year. We certainly don’t want more of Michael Komape.

Ladies and gentlemen, a total of 80% of the public schools have access to Internet connectivity. The majority of these schools are connected using 3G/LTE that is not ideal for teaching and learning, it is this context that we appeal to the private sector to partner with government, to roll out connectivity, particularly in deep rural areas. As part of the Phase 1 of the SA Connect, a total of 594 have access to broadband connectivity.

The Influence of Arts

Distinguished guests, while science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are often emphasized, the arts play an equally important role in community development. The arts foster creativity, cultural expression, and social cohesion. They provide a platform for individuals to share their stories, challenge societal norms, and inspire change.

Careers in the arts, such as graphic design, performing arts, and creative writing, contribute to the cultural and social fabric of our communities. Public art projects, for example, can transform urban spaces, making them more vibrant and welcoming.

Arts education programmes can empower individuals, particularly young people, to express themselves and develop critical thinking skills. The arts, through all its different manifestations played a pivotal role in the dismantling of apartheid. 

Encouraging STEAM Careers

Ladies and gentlemen, in taking up their responsibilities towards an educated and healthy nation young people also have the responsibility to equip themselves to take up opportunities presented by the 4th industrial revolution.

These opportunities require greater innovation and a more focussed skills revolution which will equip our society with capabilities in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas.

It is therefore encouraging to note that efforts at the Departments of Science & Technology and Higher Education, are afoot to ensure the increasing our capabilities in the STEM areas, in line with the NDP.

However, in order to reach our target of growing our gross expenditure on research and development to 1.5% of GDP, we will require effective private/public partnerships, which place communities at their centre.

Consequently, we must call on the private sector to continue and accelerate research based partnerships aimed at facilitating for product and service development as well as innovation.

Further, innovative programmes such as RU-FORUM, which is an African network of Universities in the Agriculture, have shown that it is only through private sector support of innovations by young people coupled with partnerships with the academic, civil society and public sectors that we can facilitate for community-based solutions for our own communities.

One of the most effective ways the private sector can contribute to community development is through partnerships. By collaborating with local governments as is the case here with Blouberg Municipality, non-profits, and community organisations, businesses can pool resources and expertise to tackle complex social issues. 

In conclusion, advancing community development through careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and innovation is not just a goal; it is a necessity. These fields hold the potential to transform our communities, address pressing challenges, and create a more equitable and sustainable future.

As we move forward, let us commit to supporting and encouraging STEAM careers. Let us invest in education, mentorship, and diversity. And let us work together to harness the power of STEAM to build stronger, healthier, and more vibrant communities.

This cannot be achieved by government alone; we have to come together and build our country like the weaver birds.

As Mandoza once said, “Uzoyithola kanjani uhlel’ekoneni!”

Programme Director, allow me to commend all the organisations that invest in youth development programmes, and to conclude by quoting the first democratic President Dr Nelson Mandela who said “It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine; that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation”.

I thank you!