By Edwin Naidu
Higher Education Deputy Minister Dr Mimmy Gondwe has been mentoring young leaders and driving crucial national issues while serving in Parliament’s portfolio committees of public service and administration, and public enterprises.
In her role since the Government of National Unity (GNU) took office on 3 July, Gondwe says she wants to be remembered as a leader who took active steps to address high unemployment among the youth.
According to Stats SA, the unemployment rate for people aged 15-24 was 60.8% in the second quarter of 2024, and for those aged 25–34, it was 41.7%. This is higher than the national unemployment rate of 33.5%.
Gondwe has reached out to her counterparts at the Employment and Labour Department to consider how to tackle these challenges, ensuring that skills and opportunities for the youth are unlocked, and are in line with the priorities of the GNU.
The new administration aims to drive inclusive growth and job creation, reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living.
In a recent media session, the deputy minister said she could not wait to get started in her role and assume responsibility for issues related to gender-based violence, legal matters affecting the department, higher education private institutions, and oversight of two Sector Education Training Authorities, the Energy and Water Seta and the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Seta.
Her responsibilities given by Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane include political oversight of work-placed learning programmes.
Gondwe believes that the tertiary sector can no longer measure its success in terms of certificates and diplomas issued.
She challenged the sector to rather measure how well it was doing by how many of their former students were now employed or running their own businesses.
Gondwe, who has been a DA MP since 2019, is deeply rooted in academia, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Philosophy degree from the University of Cape Town, a Bachelor of Laws degree from Rhodes University, and a Master and Doctor of Laws in Mercantile Law degrees, both from the University of Stellenbosch.
While studying towards her PhD, Gondwe was awarded a number of scholarships and grants in recognition of her academic achievements.
She has a rich professional background in the legal, academic and political spheres, but wants to ensure as a government leader that her work impacts the narrative in the country.
She firmly believes that given the tools, South Africa’s youth will make the country proud, citing the example of two Orbit TVET college students in Rustenburg winning an AI top prize in Tanzania.
The students from Orbit are beneficiaries of the college’s new facility, a new groundbreaking R5-million Smart Skills Centre built by the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA).
The centre opened in May to bridge the digital skills divide and accelerate the development of basic digital skills for a future-fit workplace as part of the CHIETA strategy to innovate for impact in societies nationwide.
Katlego Sebejane, 22, and Kenosi Rakhalane, 21, who are both from Letlhabile in Brits in the North West, won the African Elevate Competition, an online event hosted on 17 October.
Their prize was in recognition of their app which translated sign language into text, therefore, bridging the gap between the deaf community and those unfamiliar with sign language.
They received US$5000 (about R88,000) for first prize.
Gondwe praised the two young learners for winning the top prize and called on other TVET colleges to be deliberate about producing skills that were needed and demanded by the contemporary economy, such as robotics and AI.
“This award is a testament to how skills in fields like AI, robotics, and coding are shaping the future. It’s especially encouraging to see young women excelling in these fields.
“The two young ladies’ accomplishments also highlight the growing importance of AI in addressing societal challenges. I have always believed that young people are innovative and have in them the solutions for many of the challenges our country faces. This app is one such example,” the minister said.
Gondwe said education was not an end, “but a means to an end”.
“That end is to help the learner find a job or to be economically productive as an entrepreneur and an employer. That is why we must measure whether those who have been through our institutions of higher education do have jobs or are themselves employers of others.”
And she wants to lead the way in creating opportunities, saying that due to the huge demand for information, she has established a help desk to provide students in the Post-School and Education Sector with a platform to raise their various concerns.
There’s much to do, but Gondwe is committed to partnerships to unlock the potential of South Africa’s youth.
INSIDE EDUCATION
