At an award ceremony held at the Johannesburg Metropolitan Centre at which the matriculants received their prizes, the City's Executive Mayor, Councillor Mpho Parks Tau, said that education was the key to breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty that continued to plague many of the city's communities.
He congratulated the winners on their achievement and also paid tribute to their families, communities and schools.
Each winner received a cash grant to put towards his university registration fees and books, as well as a laptop computer and a smartphone, all donated by private sector companies including Dimension Data.
Mayor Tau told the winners that Joburg and the country needed young people with knowledge and skills across a wide range of disciplines. He encouraged them to study as hard as they could to advance their knowledge.
"This will help you to make a good future not only for yourselves, but for your families, your communities, your city and your country," he added.
Makano Mosidi, public sector executive of Dimension Data echoed Executive Mayor Tau's sentiments. "Dimension Data's socio-economic development strategy centres on enhancing educational opportunities, as we believe that all South African children have a right to quality education and an opportunity to future their studies," she said.
"We are, therefore, extremely proud that the City of Johannesburg afforded Dimension Data the opportunity to contribute towards rewarding these 20 young people for their hard work and achievements. We hope this will help to kick-start their tertiary education careers and also serve as an incentive to others in their communities to follow in their footsteps."
