Rhodes has the Most Mandela Rhodes Scholars for 2009
Mandela Rhodes Scholars for 2009
Left to Right:
Siyabulela Nomoyi, Ingrid Cloete, Rhodes Vice-Chancellor Dr Badat, Katherine Furman and Alinka Brutsch
Rhodes University with a total of 6 300 students, 0.8% of all tertiary students in South Africa, has won 14 % of the Mandela Rhodes Scholarships awarded by the Mandela Rhodes Foundation seeing four Rhodes students out of a total of 28 in the rest of South Africa become Mandela Rhodes Scholars for 2009. Bearing proud testimony to Rhodes University’s high standing among South Africa’s tertiary education institutions for its academic excellence, these four students represent the most number of students to be awarded in any university in the country. The University of Cape Town and Wits tie for the second largest number of Mandela Rhodes Scholars with three each.
Selected from a shortlist of 40 out of a total of 122 formal nominations, the scholars are selected according to their academic ability and leadership potential. The vision of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation is “building exceptional leadership capacity in Africa.” Exemplifying the Rhodes motto – “Where leaders learn” – Alinka Brutsch, Ingrid Cloete, Katherine Furman and Siyabulela Nomoyi, in accepting this award, take up a Scholarship that is also a comprehensive leadership development programme to further their academic careers and enhance the leadership qualities they have already so adequately demonstrated during their studies at Rhodes.
Alinka Brutsch is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Philosophy and Legal Theory, is chairperson of Rhodes Amnesty International and chief adjudicator of the Rhodes Debating Society. She has also been involved in community outreach in Grahamstown at Kuyasa School for children with physical and mental disabilities and at the community dental clinic.
Ingrid Cloete has a passion for the law and is currently in her third year studying towards a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Politics and Legal Theory. As Vice-President External of the Students Representative Council, she facilitated the Representative Council for Learners at a high school in Joza, Grahamstown East, helping these learners to become more effective student leaders and has been involved in the National Youth Service Project which runs workshops on entrepreneurship and small business management. She is also a Legal Activism Society Member, Anglo American/The Sowetan Young Communicators’ Award Trainer and Adjudicator, Golden Key Society and Rotaract member and was a delegate to the National Youth Parliament in July.
Katherine Furman has a Bachelor of Arts with a distinction in Philosophy and is currently doing Joint Honours in Philosophy and International Relations. During 2009 she intends doing Masters in Philosphy looking at the intersection between African philosophy and governance structures in Africa. Katherine is a founding member and resources director of the Rhini Development League and a South African Development Coach for Schools Debating. She is also Chair of the Local Organising Committee for the All African Students Congress, the SRC Academic Councillor and Head of the Students’ Constitutional Review Team.
Siyabulela Nomoyi is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Mathematics and Statistics and will do Honours in Statistics during 2009. Siyabulela tutors high school students at Nathaniel Nyaluza school in computer programming, maths and physics and has helped design educational computer games for a children’s computer kiosk at a township community centre. He is also a member of the Golden Key Society, is a first-year Maths and Statistics tutor. “Coming to a university of high prestige such as Rhodes University, which gives you a chance to pursue your dreams and develop skills has been a privilege,” said Siyabulela. “Now is the time to use them, by giving back to the community.”
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation, based in Cape Town, is one of the three official charitable organisations established by Mr Nelson Mandela, the others being the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. The MRF is a partnership with the Rhodes Trust, which separately administers the Rhodes Scholarships to Oxford University. Further information on the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship is available on their website: www.mandelarhodes.org
Story By: Kerry Peter, Rhodes University Communications and Development Division
