Cllr Mbulaheni Nndwakhulu of Thulamela is very passionate about development and he said that the only way to realize this was when people were educated.
He and the ward council of Ward 34 Thulamela have embarked on a campaign to encourage learners to take their education seriously. They have started visiting primary schools in the Lwamondo area, rewarding the top three Grade 7 learners who performed well in the last quarter.
On Monday, he and his ward committee members visited Tshiwedza Primary School at Tshivhale, where the top three were rewarded. The hardworking learners received trophies and cash for their efforts.
Nndwakhulu said that the idea to reward the pupils came out of the need for development in his ward. "Development will not just appear without our working for it. Education is one tool we can use in bringing about development in the community."
He further indicated that they were starting at primary schools, but with the future aim of visiting secondary schools and crèches. "We are also making learners aware of the dangers of drugs, alcohol and teenage sex and engaging in crime.
"As parents we are very concerned about crime at our schools where foodstuff, books and computers are stolen, and we are making an appeal to everyone in the community to be our eyes at schools and expose the criminals, " said Nndwakhulu.
He added that they would be doing this on a quarterly basis with the aim of improving their results and their lives in the long term.
School principal Mr Ntavhanyenu Nemutanzhela heaped praises on the councillor and his ward council. "We are very excited as a school to have partners and leaders who have the interests of the learners at heart. These awards will instil a sense of competition among the learners and we will have quality results at the end," he said.
He urged the committee to come back and motivate the learners again in future.