After 31 years of serving within the Mpumalanga Department of Education, Davis Milton Masinga, principal of Masana Secondary School, won the Kader Asmal Lifetime Achievement Award in the provincial instalment of the National Teaching Awards Ceremony at Nutting House Lodge on September 13. Masinga joined Masana in 2006.
According to him, it feels great to win and to see the work he has done over the years recognised in this fashion. Masinga said resources do not teach, but teachers do. “I feel humble and happy to win this category. I have worked in about nine schools before I joined Masana.”
His messages to other educators: “If we keep on doing things to the best of our abilities, we are destined to succeed. For us to achieve in life, we need to take our learners, colleagues and parents seriously.”
Masinga will represent Mpumalanga in the national awards in October.
In this category, he was competing against Isaiah Ronald Shabangu from the Ehlanzeni District, Bhikifa Petrus Kolobe from the Gert Sibande District and Maria Lizbeth Sithole from the Nkangala District. Kolobe took second place and Shabangu came in third in this category.
ALSO READ: Safa Ehlanzeni trains 40 soccer coaches at Mbombela Stadium
In 2011, the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, launched the Kader Asmal Excellence Award in honour of Prof Kader Asmal for his contribution to education and to society.
ALSO READ: MEC condemns theft and vandalism at Rob Ferreira Hospital, allegedly by department officials
Asmal introduced the National Teaching Awards during his term of office in the Ministry of Education in 2000.
The inception of the Kader Asmal Excellence Award enables the minister/MEC to honour an outstanding educator embodying some of the core values that Asmal had stood for, and at the same time, honour him for his contribution to the development of education in this country.
