GEORGE NEWS - The Nelson Mandela University (NMU) George campus acknowledged excellent student leadership and sports achievement at their annual Achievers Awards held at the campus's main hall on Wednesday 25 October.
Twenty-five awards were made to students and student societies that had excelled across all spheres of student life.
Awards were made in the categories of Student Governance and Development, Arts and Culture, Student Residences, Sport and overall student leadership - a highlight being the Campus Principal Leadership Excellence Award.
The winners in this prestigious category are Sinethemba Godla (male category), who is doing his practical year at Thembalethu High to complete his BEd degree, and Nwabisa Kalashe (female category) who has graduated with a diploma in forestry and is now doing her BTech studies.
They were acknowledged for their proven leadership in various spheres and significant contributions to student life.
The Sport Club of the Year Award went to the NMU hockey club and the Sport Team of the Year was scooped by the men's first tennis team.
The NMU George Sportsman of the Year 2017 was awarded to seasoned cricketer Jean du Plessis.
Sport Merit and Excellence award winners from left: Sefoko Ramoshaba (NMU staff member), Tristan Fourie, Angelique du Plessis, Emke Neethling, Jean du Plessis and Hugo Loubser (NMU staff member).
The students themselves bore testimony to their diverse talents by welcoming guests, performing the function of master of ceremonies and presenting various cultural performances at the gala evening event.
Sefoko Ramoshaba, manager of student affairs, told the students, "What you do today is important. Always keep your name clean as you never know when your actions will come back to haunt you."
The winners of the residence awards, from left: Siwe Biyela, Nwabisa Kalashe, Evidence Siwela, Mxolisi Ncapayi (NMU staff member), Sinesipho Mketo and Khululwa Mvango (NMU staff member).
Ramoshaba cited the example of US Senator Joe Biden, the vice-president during Barak Obama's two terms as President of the United States.
"Biden was a serious contender for president of the United States in 1988, until it became obvious that he was delivering a speech that had previously been delivered by the Neil Kinnock, the leader of Britain's Labour Party.
The Student Governance and Development awards winners, from left: Jo-Anne King, Nwabisa Kalashe, Mxolisi Ncapayi (NMU staff member), Sebenzile Madonsela, Siphokazi Nodude (NMU staff member), Khororo Makhubalo, Sinethemba Godla and Khanyisile Hlungwane.
"He never acknowledged the original source of his speech and people started to check his past records, only to find that he had plagiarised while doing his legal studies in 1965, which led to him failing his Legal Methodology module. Biden dropped his presidential ambitions."
ARTICLE & PHOTOS: MYRON RABINOWITZ, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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