“VUT Student Support Services hosted First Year for Sale by Dr Jerry Makhetha, a play on student challenges, mental health, and self-worth, inspiring growth.”
18 August 2025 | Story By: Tshepang Mothibedi | Picture: Keitumetse Mokgope
3 minutes read time.
From 11–14 August 2025, the Vaal University of Technology’s (VUT) Student Support Services (SSS) presented Dr Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha’s theatre production First Year for Sale at the Desmond Tutu Great Hall. Staged under the theme The Adventures of Student Life: How Much Are You Worth?, the play illuminated the struggles, triumphs, and self-discoveries that define the first year of university.
The three-day showcase featured celebrated guests: Ms Lerato Makhetha, acclaimed South African actor, music and television producer; Ms Moleboheng Selekane, an actor, writer, producer, vocalist, casting assistant and storyteller; and Ms Bonolo Peni, an actor, filmmaker and entrepreneur. Together they brought poetry, song, and drama to life, weaving narratives that echoed the real experiences of first-year students.
Their performances painted vivid portraits of student life, from the disorientation of entering a new environment to the financial and academic pressures and the search for belonging. The audience witnessed the emotional and social shifts that come with independence, as well as the weight of responsibility that accompanies this new chapter.
One of the most powerful moments came through Ms Bonolo Peni’s heartfelt poem about a student navigating university while living with bipolar disorder. The poem traced the student’s decision to abandon medication in pursuit of feeling “normal” among peers, a decision fraught with pain and consequence. Many students resonated with the piece. One openly shared, “I am living with bipolar disorder, and coming to university has been challenging. Balancing medication with socialising hasn’t been easy, but I am committed to managing it every day.” The performance sparked candid, necessary conversations about mental health in varsity spaces.
The play further explored themes of careless spending, the pressures of supporting family, the pursuit of entertainment, declining academic performance compared with high school, and the complexities of relationships. Framed by the provocative question How much are you worth?, the production urged students to reflect deeply on self-worth, choices, and resilience.
Each performance concluded with a dialogue session where students engaged directly with the cast. In one exchange, a student asked Mr Lerato Makhetha whether he personally related to any of the characters. He replied, “Having been a university student myself, I struggled to fit in and often hid where I came from, which nearly caused me to lose myself along the way.”
In a moment of wisdom, Ms Bonolo Peni reminded students not to fall in love with the degree, but rather with the discipline and knowledge it imparts. The event culminated with Dr Jerry Makhetha’s heartfelt gratitude to VUT, the Student Representative Council (SRC), and the SSS for their support. He closed with a profound reminder: “Where purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable.”