By: Themba Nyovane- 19 April 2023

“I hope my achievement would serve as a reminder to every student in the University not to be polluted by society nor to allow the environment to shift their focus from their studies, but to always keep their eyes on the bigger price”.

These were the words of Masendi Maanda, the president of the Student Representative Committee (SRC) of the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), who was among the cohort of graduates from the Faculty of Management Sciences who were capped earlier at the University’s autumn graduation ceremonies that are being held at the Desmond Tutu Great Hall from 17 – 22 April 2023.

Maanda graduated for his Diploma in Cost and Management Accounting.

A young and vibrate leader born and raised in Venda, Limpopo Province, he enrolled at VUT through the extended program in 2017, and during his study years, his interest in politics intensified. This saw him serve in various student leadership roles, including being Prim, house committee member, and later SRC president from the year 2021.

Asked what drew him to student leadership, Maanda who is also chairperson the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Student Command at VUT, said “I believed I could change a lot through my passion for politics.” On graduating, he emphasized that it is important for student leaders to lead by example. Notably, he said he was grateful for the love and support he received from his fellow committee members, and throughout the entire University, adding that they nurtured his future and he’s now one step closer towards his dreams.

But this is not the end for this futuristic young leader – his goals and objectives for this academic year remain clear cut: to continue serving the student populace. In so doing, he wants to be more strategic and impactful towards student living and learning. Lastly, in the broader scheme of things, he says he aims to equip the greatest leaders in the history of VUT that will serve the vision and mission of the University.