Education

Hope and Inspiration at Matatiele’s first annual graduation ceremony

The first-ever annual graduation ceremony held in Maluti, Matatiele, in the Eastern Cape on Saturday brought much-needed hope and inspiration to local graduates. The event, organized by Letlotlo Moeketsie, a graduate in Transport Economics, marked a historic moment for the town and drew around forty graduates from various parts of Matatiele.

The event featured empowering speeches from prominent figures in various fields, providing the attendees with valuable insights and motivation. Makhoza Ndaba, a graduate with a Master’s in Tourism and Hospitality, expressed her gratitude for the event. She described it as a source of hope, particularly for graduates who remain unemployed and still wear their gowns at home due to the high unemployment rate. Ndaba praised the choice of speakers, calling them an inspiration and voicing her desire for the event to become an annual occurrence. “I would love to see the event coming back to recharge our energies towards achieving our goals as graduates,” Ndaba said.

Khanyisile Vatsha, a graduate holding a Master’s degree in Labour Law, also shared her appreciation for the event, calling it an eye-opener for many attendees. Vatsha highlighted one of the key messages from the speakers: the need for graduates to critically assess whether their university studies align with the current job market. She emphasized that graduates must also be mindful of the rise of artificial intelligence, which could lead to job displacement. “We need to identify opportunities that will help create work for us,” she said. Vatsha concluded by noting that such events have the potential to elevate Matatiele, producing not only graduates but also skilled professionals.

Among the distinguished speakers was Professor Tsidi Phooko, a Judge at the Electoral Court of South Africa. Professor Phooko advised the graduates to be mindful of their online presence, sharing a personal story of how a post on social media had negatively impacted his application for a high court judge position. “I was interviewed for a position of high court judge, and there was an objection because of what I posted on social media. I don’t want anyone to be the victim of that,” he warned. He also told graduates not to be shy to use public platforms to tell their stories. “Learn to tell your story because other people will not be able to tell your story the way you know it”, he concluded.

The organizer of the event, Letlotlo Moeketsie, expressed his satisfaction with the success of the ceremony. “This has given me the energy to start preparing for the next event, which will take place in December next year,” he concluded.

The event was a promising start to what organizers hope will become an annual tradition, inspiring and empowering future graduates from Matatiele and beyond.

 

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