Environmental Affairs Minister receives doctoral degree

The Vaal University of Technology honoured the Minister of Environmental Affairs, Minister Edith Edna Molewa with a Doctor's Degree in Applied Sciences for her immeasurable contribution to the field of humanities during the Faculty of Management Sciences' Spring graduation ceremony.

The honourable Minister Molewa will now be officially addressed as Dr Molewa. A mother of four, Dr Molewa is an educator by training and a long-time activist who made a great contribution to the South African liberation movement. She has served on various structures of the ANC and trade unions. She was among the first members of the democratic parliament and the first female to chair the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry. She is currently reading for a Bachelor of Commerce (B Comm) Degree with the University of South Africa. She thanked her mother and sisters for giving her a strong support system, which encouraged her to continue to work hard to make a positive contribution in South Africa. "I am humbled to be entrusted with such an honourable award," she said.

Spring Graduations proved to be a special and memorable event as more Honorary Doctorates and a Special Award were given to selfless individuals who used their gifts and role in society to better the lives of others.

On 6 September, Jaywant Irkhede, Director of the Textile, Clothing, Leather and Footwear sector in the Department of Trade and Industries, was honoured with a Doctorate for his success in turning around the leather and footwear manufacturing sectors from stagnation to rapid growth, and his dedication and selfless efforts in establishing sector specific development programmes with different academic institutions, including the Vaal University of Technology.

Dr Imtiaz Ismail Sooliman is a qualified medical doctor who worked in medical private practice for eight-and-a-half years before founding the Gift of the Givers Foundation in 1992; the largest disaster relief organisation of African origin on the African continent, was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate for his extraordinary involvement in uplifting humankind.

Closing off the 2016 graduation ceremonies week, Dr Tim Tebeila, astute businessman and CEO of Sekoko Solutions, also received an honorary Doctorate in Business Administration, from the Faculty of Management Sciences for his continued contribution to the field of Business and Entrepreneurship.