WATCH: Education changes lives, says Chief Ratshitanga

“What am I going to do with this PhD qualification? Is this going to be mostly of impact to me, or on the community I live in?”

These were some of the questions Chief Nkhumbuleni Ratshitanga of Ngulumbi village had in mind on Friday, 19 November, when he graduated with a PhD in Business Information Systems at the University of Venda (Univen).

Chief Ratshitanga is also head of information technology at Univen. The university honoured more than 600 graduates during the physical graduation ceremony.

Chief Ratshitanga’s love of education dates back to 1920, when his grandparents built a school with their own money. “I am from a royal family. My grandparents built a school from their own pockets. My parents always talked about education wherever they were, and this gave me the zeal and strength to wake up and study. I believe in education because I have noticed how education changes situations in people’s lives,” said Chief Ratshitanga.

To him, education is not only for self-esteem, but it must be of benefit to the entire community one comes from. “In my area, I move from one school to the other, encouraging not only learners but also educators to study,” he said.

Perseverance, according to Chief Ratshitanga, pays. “I always encourage my community not to stop studying because once one stops studying it means one is not going to reap the benefits you intended getting.

To him, acquiring a PhD gives him a better platform to contribute meaningfully to his community.

News - Date: 02 December 2021

Bernard Chiguvare

Bernard Chiguvare is a Zimbabwean-born journalist. He writes mainly for the online publication, Groundup.

Email: [email protected]