14 Nov 2017

Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Mr Patrick Ralotsia has called on students to make hay while the sun shines and give up wayward behaviour that could ruin their future.

Mr Ralotsia, who is also Member of Parliament for Kanye North, said this during a ceremony to award the top four achievers at Seepapitso Senior Secondary School recently.

He told students that their destiny lied in their hands, adding that the awards demonstrated love and compassion and served as an encouragement to other students.

The minister said the support for the institution would make the students keen to study. “Your destiny is in your hands, you make it or break it. Nobody can live life in your stead. As parents and teachers, we can only provide you with guidance,” he said.

He raised concern about some students who bunked classes, drank alcohol and smoked marijuana.

Mr Ralotsia, who is a former teacher, was also not impressed by some parents, saying they  sold drugs to students and in the process destroyed their future.

Presenting gifts of heifers, Minister Ralotsia said the gesture was intended to spur students on and inspire academic excellence.

“By this gesture, I also want you to venture into farming as per the rich Setswana culture,” he said, promising the best students for this academic year other heifers if they obtained 46 points.

One of the recipient’s mother, Ms Phemelo Moeti, who her child garnered 46 points for his BGCSE, thanked the minister and government for supporting academic excellence.

She described education as the key cornerstone that moulded and paved the way towards a successful future.

For his part, South Region Education director, Mr Acro Maseko commended Mr Ralotsia’s family for their gesture.

He said the ministry welcomed the gesture, noting that it was in line with the Adopt-a-School initiative which seeks partnerships within the education sector.

Mr Maseko said with the increasing number of interventions by both the government and community, only the sky could limit the students ambitions.

The four recipients were Mofenyi Moeti, Bakang Kwape, Thero Moleofi and Thato Modibedi who scored 46 points, and they were each awarded a heifer courtesy of Mr Ralotsia and some farmers in the Southern District. BOPA