We have empowered our youth with skills!

Mavuso Shabalala, is today a qualified Engineer, working at EThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, thanks to Matatiele local municipality youth skills empowerment programme. Shabalala is one of more than 500 young people from Matatiele, who have benefitted from municipal skills empowerment programme. The young man from Nkau village in Matatiele had no one to take care of his university tuition fees after he passed matric at Mariazell High School. With unemployed parents and as the first born at home, Shabalala’s academic determination drew him to the municipal offices. “To be honest, I was just trying my luck, I didn’t think I could really get help to enrol at varsity”, confessed Shabalala. 

Currently this programme has produced Accountants with CA articles, Agricultural Scientist, Engineers etc. The Municipality promotes scarce skills and therefore the bursary programme focuses mainly on students studying towards BSc. Electrical Engineering, Bcom Accounting, Bachelor of Agriculture. Bsc Electrical Engineering, Bsc. Civil Engineering, a Bachelor in Urban and Regional Planning.

In its quest to radically improve education levels in Matatiele, and prepare young people’s entry into economic activity, Matatiele local municipality has over the past few years implemented various programmes. This, in an effort to reduce unemployment, whilst ensuring young people contribute towards growing the economy of Matatiele and that of the country at large. Since 2014, the municipality has enrolled those from previously disadvantaged backgrounds in universities and other institutions of higher learning.