Mpumalanga teachers awarded at provincial instalment of national teaching awards
These winning teachers will represent the province at the national awards.
“A good teacher is truly the most important and precious resource to guide a child and provide skills, knowledge, values and attitudes,” said the Mpumalanga MEC for education, Bonakele Majuba during the provincial instalment of the National Teaching Awards ceremony at Nutting House Lodge on September 13.
Educators and various stakeholders from all parts of Mpumalanga came together for this occasion. Dressed in their traditional attire, they danced and celebrated the winners who will later represent the province at the National Teaching Awards in October.
Majuba said, “These outstanding teachers who we recognise and celebrate for their excellent conduct, work performance and commitment to the teaching profession, will eventually help to transform our province to become a better place for everyone to live in.
“It is for this reason that we acknowledge with great gratitude the very best among our teachers who exemplify a particular ideal commitment to advancing the growth and development of the teaching profession in our province. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to all these teachers who continue to provide our learners with education, sometimes under trying circumstances.”
According to Majuba, all the 33 000 teachers in the province are winners.
“We salute all of them, from the early childhood development centres, special schools and the mainstream – all of them are truly important to us. We are really appreciative of the enormous support the department receives from the education sector unions, associations of school governing bodies, learners’ formations and the business community.”
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He said with this ceremony they celebrate teachers who understand that the only way out of poverty for the children of the working class and the poor is through education. They are therefore working hard to achieve this goal.
Some of the categories that were recognised and the winners are Prudence Nonhlanhla Zwane from the Ehlanzeni District in primary school teaching, Maria Ngcane from the Ehlanzeni District in special needs teaching, Estelle Kleingeld from the Gert Sibande District in secondary school leadership and Shiwinisi Leonard Mathebula from Ehlanzeni in primary school leadership. Sibusiso Justice Silaule from Gert Sibande is the winner in secondary school teaching, Nonjabulo Glorican Shabangu from Ehlanzeni in teaching natural sciences, Christoffel Hendrik Rootman from Nkangala in special needs leadership, and Mokadikwa Lekgeu from Gert Sibande in Grade R teaching. Siphiwe Tsakane Khoza won in the teaching mathematics category, Mpumelelo Innocent Zwane from Gert Sibande in teaching physical sciences, Mandla Delton Dhlamini from Bohlabela in technology-enhanced teaching and learning, and Gladys Moyahabo Mabuza from Bohlabela in teaching mathematics.
Davis Milton Masinga, the principal of Masana Secondary School, Bohlabela District, Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, is the winner of the Kader Asmal Lifetime Achievement Award. This category was was the main award of the occasion.
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Majuba said these awards enable the department to provide an opportunity for all of them to recognise, learn and share best practices.
“We therefore thank teachers for their unrelenting efforts to better the lives of our learners and communities. I wish to express my gratitude to all of them for the great work and for being great teachers, role models of the profession and ambassadors of the province.
“Finally, we acknowledge with gratitude our generous sponsors, including the Old Mutual Foundation, Fundi, Think Teacher and Telkom. The department partnered with Old Mutual to capacitate teachers on financial literacy.”
