Mr Tate Makgoe: Free State MEC honored with a doctorate by VUT
Mr Tate Makgoe: Free State MEC honored with a doctorate by VUT
Honorary Doctorate recipient in Business Administration: MEC for Basic Education (Free State Province); Dr Pule Herbert Makgoe
Qhawekazi Memani
Sitting in the Vaal University of Technology’s (VUT) Desmond Tutu hall on the 11 September reminded the Dr Pule Herbert Makgoe of the day he sat in the same hall when he graduated with a Diploma in Chemical Engineering 36 years ago.
Dr Makgoe, MEC for Basic Education (Free State Province) was awarded with an honorary doctorate in Business Administration by the VUT Faculty of Management Sciences. He holds qualifications from various institutions, namely: B.Com (UNISA), B.Com hons (UFS) AND MBL (UNISA).
As University student ‘Tate’ as he is affectionately known was always aware of the delicate and volatile political landscape in the country owing to the draconian Apartheid policies. On the instruction of the new-defunct United Democratic Front (UDF), the young Tate Makgoe left South Africa in 1984 to join the African National Congress (ANC)military wing, Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) in exile.
Makgoe has devoted his life to the disadvantaged and marginalized to fully realize the objectives of the true political transformation and the total eradication of grinding poverty. Between 1986-1991 he was incarcerated at the Sun City Prison for political activism.
Up his sleeves he also holds many awards and believes in the vision of a better life for all. He is driven by the quest for the total eradication of poverty and underdevelopment in the country. He is married to Ivy and are blessed with three children, Palesa, Maki and Junior.
In his acceptance speech he recognized the beautiful teachers of the Free State province: “They are the lifeblood of the education system in the Free State in fact they are the reason I am wearing the red gown today. I thank all the teachers in the Free State province, I am honored and humbled to accept the doctorate from VUT,” he said.
“Over the years we have seen the growth and development of this incredible academic institution and contribution of its graduates to make South Africa a better place to live in. Receiving the honor is the beginning of a cordial relationship we want to build on with the university. As an institution dedicated to quality education, we want to work with VUT to improve the quality of education in schools thus ensuring that Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) subjects become subjects of choice in choosing careers that will yield an impact in the social development of this country,” he said.
Professor Peter Dzvimbo; Deputy Vice-Chancellor acknowledged all the dignitaries in attendance and said to the students: “It is their time to rethink, re-imagine the future of the country.”
