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By: Mo Senne (Senior Communications Officer)
In a city where the gown and the town are increasingly intertwined, the recent graduation of the first-ever cohort of the Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Advancement and Resource Mobilisation marks a watershed moment. It is a milestone that breathes life into the Vice-Chancellor’s enduring sentiment: Rhodes University is not just in Makhanda; it is for Makhanda.
Nowhere is this "for the community" ethos more evident than in the academic success of Timothy Hacksley and Sakhe Ntlabezo. These two men—both sons of the Eastern Cape—have become the first-ever students to obtain this qualification with Distinction. This feat transcends personal achievement and signals a new era for regional development.
The choice of these two individuals as the inaugural distinction-earners feels like a poetic alignment of purpose. As Dr Ashley Westaway, Manager of GADRA Education, notes, they are "dynamic leaders at the forefront of the Makhanda Education Transformation currently taking place."
- Timothy Hacksley: Raised and schooled within the heart of Makhanda, Timothy has dedicated his career to the city’s youth. As the Principal of the award-winning GADRA Matric School, he has been instrumental in turning the tide for local learners, proving that zip code need not determine destiny.
- Sakhe Ntlabezo: A former Rhodes University SRC President (2015), Sakhe has long been a bridge-builder. In 2021, he was appointed as the Programme Manager for the Makhanda Circle of Unity (MCoU) within the University's Division of Communications and Advancement. In this role, he was tasked with coordinating a multi-stakeholder coalition to drive the city’s socio-economic advancement—a mission he furthered as the Facilitator for the path-making 2024 Makhanda Education Summit.
South African education is often discussed through a lens of deficit and struggle. However, Hacksley and Ntlabezo have consistently chosen a different path. In the words of Dr Westaway, "Both chose lighting a candle over cursing darkness."
Their decision to register for the 2024 pilot offering of the PGDip was not a search for more titles, but for more tools. Despite being busy professionals with heavy leadership responsibilities, they threw themselves headlong into the demands of part-time study. They recognised that for the "Makhanda Miracle"—the city’s remarkable turnaround in matric performance—to be sustainable, it requires sophisticated resource mobilisation and strategic advancement.
Earning a PGDip in Advancement and Resource Mobilisation is about more than fundraising; it is about building the infrastructure of hope. By mastering the art of securing and managing resources, these two leaders are now uniquely equipped to ensure that the educational transformation in the Eastern Cape is not a fleeting moment but a permanent shift.
The distinction awarded to them is a testament to their "life-long learner" mindset. It validates their agency and their commitment to effecting significant structural change in a society that desperately needs it.
As they step back into their roles at GADRA and within the broader education sector, they bring a sharpened ability to bridge the gap between vision and reality. If Rhodes University is truly for Makhanda, then Timothy Hacksley and Sakhe Ntlabezo are the hands and minds currently doing that work, ensuring the light they have brought to the sector continues to burn brighter for the generations to follow.