Dear Students
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you once more to our beautiful city. As the Council of Makana Municipality we hope your stay in Grahamstown will be long and fruitful. Makana is made up of many rural areas with Grahamstown as the centre of the urban space in Makana. There is a lot to see in and around this strategically placed municipality and we hope you will explore more than just the campus life offered by our prestigious University.
To those who are here for the first time, please enjoy your stay in this creative city. This city offers a lot of opportunities and has a rich history. You are here to better your minds and souls through education, so strive to achieve success in your studies. You are our future leaders and we look to you to take leadership of this country.
It is a known fact that university students come from different backgrounds financially and socially. These are aspects of individual students’ lives that shape their futures and their ability to cope with the demands of tertiary education. It is because of this reason that an institution such as Rhodes University has a great role to play in Makana.
We are always very thankful as the municipality for the contribution the university continues to make towards education in Makana, through special bursaries and mentoring programmes for local young people. The Student Volunteer Programme and other mentoring programmes have made a huge difference to the lives of children who attend township schools, and this is very encouraging.
I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome back returning and new students from Eastcape Midlands College (EMC). EMC is an important Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college, which has come to attract students from out of town, despite encountering a number of challenges over the years. It is important to recognise the significant role played by an institution such as EMC in the growth and development of the youth of Makana. We hope to build stronger working relations with both institutions in the development of our city.
On behalf of the Makana Council and Administration we wish you all a very happy, healthy and peaceful year. Whatever your hopes and aspirations may be, go forward with confidence and determination and you will, I believe, be rewarded through your own efforts in 2018.
