Kagiso Trust's InBrief newsletter by Kagiso Trust

A Word from Corporate Affairs With Nontando Mthethwa, Corporate Affairs Manager, Kagiso Trust

hroughout its history, the Kagiso Trust (KT) has always been committed to uplifting the lives of disadvantaged South Africans. Over the years KT has chosen to focus on education as it plays an important role in developing the skills of many South Africans. As an organisation, we appreciate the role that Education plays in uplifting society and therefore the importance of ensuring we play a significant role in the provision of quality education to South Africans regardless of their social status or depth of their pockets. A famous South African saying expresses that ‘Umuntu ungumuntu ngabantu,’ which directly translated means that a person is person because of others. This saying acknowledges that no one individual exists autonomously and that as society, we cannot sit back and watch our neighbour suffer. This concept was instilled in me by my Mother, who taught me from a young age that it was impolite (to say the least) to eat in front of your neighbour without offering them half of your portion. If you were going to eat in front of a person, then you had to be prepared to share your food with them. My cousin though, went a bit far and stretched this principle with his cat! It took a while for me to grasp the principles of what my mother was trying to instil in me, i.e. having Ubuntu and compassion for others. Today, I get it. Even more, I understand that it does not only end with my neighbour, but includes South Africans at large.

It is for this reason that I would like to encourage South Africans to support the Bold Step Campaign; especially those who benefited from Kagiso Trust’s Bursary Programme, as they know from personal experience that had Kagiso Trust not intervened and ensured that they accessed higher education, they might not have received an opportunity to pursue their studies further. Bold Step is an initiative by the Kagiso Trust, aimed at encouraging South Africans to change the face of education by making a financial contribution towards the expansion of Kagiso Trust’s Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme. If as South Africans we do not combine our efforts to intervene in the lives of those that are less fortunate, then many youth from disadvantaged communities will not be afforded any opportunity to participate in strengthening South Africa’s Economy. Bold Step is entrenched in the principle of ‘umuntu ungumuntu ngabantu’ as we cannot afford to ignore any longer the vital role that we have to play in addressing inequality, as well as the importance of a skilled society.

Together as the staff of Kagiso Trust, from reception right through to the CEO, we refuse to turn a blind eye and have thus committed to making our financial contribution as individuals. We would like to extend an invitation for others to join us as well. Through your support of the campaign, Kagiso Trust has an ambition of increasing its bursary programme intake from 15 students per annum to 100 students. This is a tall task for the organisation, however it is an important task to pursue. For more information on how to support the campaign please visit www.boldstep. co.za To that end, please join me in congratulating Kagiso Trust’s CEO for his shortlisting into the semi-finals (top 14 out of thousands of nominations) for the MTN Foundation’s Boss of the Year Award. We wish him all the best and are confident that he will make it right to the end. I do hope you will find this issue informative and we look forward to hearing from you. Warm Regards,

There is a role for all of us to play as individuals, corporates, civil society and government. Bold Step serves as an opportunity for all of us to be agents of change for the development of our country.

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BOSSO KE MANG? MTN SA Foundation Boss of the Year Award Nominee: Mr Kgotso Schoeman Every year, the MTN SA Foundation hosts awards to honour the leading men and women of South Africa’s greatest entities. Nominated by their staff, Mzansi’s bosses line up and in good spirit to compete for the title to be South Africa’s best general to serve under.

agiso Trust’s very own Captain of the Ship, CEO Kgotso Schoeman, has made it through to the semifinals which has 14 candidates up for the coveted corporate award. We spoke to his colleagues to get a true reflection of why he deserves to be the man of the moment. Nontando Mthethwa, who nominated Mr Schoeman, spoke of a bespoke gentleman who is dedicated to his work and more so, to the people he leads. She describes a character that is very ‘jokey’ and friendly around the office, but needless to say, frank in his professional approach. Mr Schoeman’s hands on approach is fitting with a patient and steady hand in developing and retaining talent at Kagiso Trust. ‘Mr Nail It’ - as he is affectionately known - is a lethal keeper of time and encourages on-time delivery to his team, with excuses not an option. “I am what I am today, because I am a product of a great, professional leader who seeks to always develop individuals around him, no matter what background they are from,” adds Nontando Mthethwa. In his spare time or in-between business pitches, the CEO dabbles in a round of golf with friend and company driver, Mr Tsietsi Thakalekoale, who swears by his useful handicap of 12. 4

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“Mr Schoeman, or broer as I know him, is a great man, who has genuine concern with the lives of those around him. He is strict but also passionate about his family and children. He is transparent and a lover of the game (golf).” Linky Shababala, who is a long-time colleague of Mr Schoeman, reflects back on the time he was still a project manager and the passion and love that he showed for his work; working at no ends to make sure that Kagiso Trust grew in stature. She refers to him as a man of integrity who has never changed his ways since becoming CEO at Kagiso Trust. “He is still passionate and caring and takes every single person seriously. Although he pushes us hard at times, he always encourages quality work.” Kedibone Matsione, Financial Administrator at KT says, “He is a proactive boss and is very inclusive in every major assignment the company has to accomplish. He is trusting of his staff and instils confidence in us through his affirming nature.” We also spoke to Simon Munyai who first joined KT as an intern. Simon says he will not forget the warm welcome he received and the wisdom learned through observing how Mr Schoeman works. “He is an inspiring and strong character, and has a good relationship with his co-workers. I want to thank him for the opportunity he has given me.”

Mme Maria, who runs the EMSP programme, said her CEO is a humane character and a man who builds the strengths of others from the bottom up. “He believes in us and treats us like his equals. He never makes you feel his rank. He is very humble!” Zandile Matakane and Angeline Mdakane explain that Kgotso is engaging and moulds his employees into efficient soldiers of their craft. Linda Frampton, who is the Executive Assistant to the CEO, says she has worked with a number of great men throughout her long career, and Mr Schoeman is right up there with the best of them. She even went as far as saying she expects Mr Schoeman to win, without a doubt. She compared him to the great Eric Molobi, whom she had the opportunity to work for. Among the people that the CEO is lined up against, are some of the best in country, such as Dr. Kabalepille Mokgethi, who is CEO of Royal Bafokeng Health, as well as Andre de Reyter, Senior Group Executive for Sasol.

Private sector has a role to play in addressing South Africa’s education crisis

ow should South Africans tackle the education crisis? It’s obvious to all that the system is failing far too many learners, and that changes initiated by those entrusted with guiding state education are happening too slowly to meet the needs of many of our children. It really doesn’t matter if your child is in a state school or a private school, or if you don’t have children at all; the fall-out from a poorly educated nation is already affecting all of us. More and more teenagers, who are ill-equipped to compete for jobs, leave or drop out of school each year, swelling the ranks of the unemployed. This exacerbates inequality, with all the social ills that inequality brings, from crime to pressure on the state health system to a bigger demand for social grants. Meanwhile, the economy suffers, because the system is not producing school-leavers with the necessary skills. It’s hard for South African citizens and taxpayers to accept that education is one of the biggest beneficiaries of our tax rand. More than 21% of the budget,

at total of R179.834 billion, will be devoted to education this year, and yet all that money does not seem to generate the kind of change we seek. It’s easy to complain and criticise, but the practical questions are seldom asked: “Is education the state’s sole responsibility? What would be a realistic and speedy solution?” The Department of Basic Education is the entity tasked with fixing the education system, but, like all government departments, it reacts ponderously and changes implemented now often only have effect years down the line. This is not satisfactory. It will not help today’s Grade 8s to know that, while they will be condemned to years of unemployment, the children behind them will do better.

“Is education the state’s sole responsibility?

This slow rate of change by government is not, in fact, unusual: no government department anywhere in the world is designed to respond with agility and speed to changes in society, the economy or technology.

Consider the numbers involved: 12 million learners in about 24 365 public schools, taught by 365 447 educators. Rapid transformation when you’re trying to intervene in tens of thousands of schools at the same time is simply unrealistic. But rapid change is precisely the talent possessed by the private sector, which can twist and turn like a racing greyhound, moving as the circumstances demand. So surely the solution lies in some kind of melding of the two opposites: partnering government’s size, budget and economies of scale with the flexibility, skill and agility that is characteristic of the private sector. Take, for example, Kagiso Trust has pioneered taking private sector techniques and processes into state schools. The Free State department of education and Kagiso Trust support 167 schools through the Beyers Naude Schools Development Programme. In the Thabo Mofutsanyana district, Mohaladitwe Secondary school went from achieving a 20% pass rate in 2010 to a 79.6% pass rate in 2011.

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A lot of this success was due to ex-principal Mrs Mokhatla, who joined Mohaladitwe Secondary School in January 2010 as the school management and governance officer. Noting that “morale was low, and learners, educators and parents were not cooperating,” she set about getting the right people in place. And her tactics were rooted in the mindset of an entrepreneur. “We had to be quite ruthless in our approach; educators who were not performing had to be performance managed and if necessary removed,” she said. In the Glencoe region of KwaZuluNatal, Kagiso Trust’s project schools show similar rapid shifts resulting from the trust’s interventions. Sebenzakusakhanya High School, Phumulani High School and Ubongumenzi High Schools have shown massive improvements in their Grade 12 results. Equally importantly, the schools now boast facilities and resources aimed at producing learners who are equipped to compete in the job market, such as a computer centre and a science laboratory. With solid experience and achievements behind it, Kagiso Trust believes it can add vital and effective components to the mix, ones which will assist the Department of Basic education to achieve the desired results much more quickly and efficiently.

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The Trust is confident that many more South Africans would be happy to contribute, if they knew their contributions would make a real and measureable difference. That’s the rationale behind the Trust’s new Bold Step Campaign, which calls on corporates, NGOs, government departments and leaders, as well as local and foreign funders, and the media to take ownership of the crisis in education today. “We, as citizens of South Africa, should become investors in our own society,” says Kagiso Trust CEO, Kgotso Schoeman. “By each putting in our unique contribution, instead of waiting for government to do the job alone, we can turn things around and make sure all our children have a shot at a better future today, not in some distant future time.”

Kagiso Trust’s bold step for youth development

Kagiso Trust is rallying support for its enterprising Bold Step campaign that aims to empower South African youth through access to better education.

he campaign, spearheaded by the Trust, is targeting the support of the public and individuals whose lives have been dramatically changed by the work of Kagiso Trust. “We want to encourage all South Africans, and particularly our alumni who have been positively affected by the work of the Trust, to spread the gift of education across South Africa by making a financial commitment to the Trust’s education reform programme,” says Nontando Mthethwa, Corporate Affairs Manager of Kagiso Trust. The Bold Step campaign was launched in June, Youth Month, and although focused on the Trust’s alumni, is extending its reach to rally support from the public at large through social media and traditional media platforms. “The campaign is about inspiring purpose, hope, optimism, commitment, and an urgency to step up and make a difference to South Africa’s education system, a responsibility of all South Africans,” continues Nontando. 8

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“Kagiso Trust runs one of the most respected, successful and established education reform programmes in the country. Together with the support of individuals and corporates, we can increase our efforts by tenfold, and turn the state of education around in South Africa. To launch the campaign, Kagiso Trust recruited a number of ambassadors who have pledged their support for the campaign by making their financial contribution. “These include professional South Africans, who have benefited from the Trust’s Bursary programme over the years, and are now successful citizens in their own right. They are living proof that quality education changes lives for the better,” explains Nontando.

Excellence in Education Kagiso Trust has earned its stripes as a front-runner in the NGO space through its steadfast commitment to the improvement of education.

The Trust has had a sizeable impact on higher education in South Africa having funded more than 25 000 students with bursaries through its Bursary Programme in the 80’s and 90’s. Many individuals now in the higher echelons of government, business and academia were assisted by the Kagiso Trust Bursary Programme to acquire their qualification. In its earlier years, the Bursary Programme dispensed about R300 million a year to students. By 1997, as the reserve fund of donor funding began to dwindle, the sum dropped to around R190 million. It has since been taken over by government through the establishment of the Tertiary Education Fund for South Africa (TEFSA), today known as the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). This initiative seeks to impact on South Africa’s student diplomat and graduate populations by providing a sustainable financial aid system to benefit individuals from disadvantaged communities.

Since repositioning itself, the Trust has conceptualised and implements two major programmes, i.e. the Beyers Naude Schools Development Programme (BNSDP) and the Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme (EMSP). The BNSDP has been running since 2004 and been implemented in four of South Africa’s provinces, in more than 200 schools. The main aim of the BNSDP is to restore the culture of learning and teaching in schools, while at the same time develop functional and sustainable relationships between key stakeholders within the school community. As a follow on from the BNSDP, the EMSP was developed to allow promising learners from disadvantaged families in BNSDP schools to have the opportunity to study further. Since its inception in 2006, the programme has funded 64 learners through tertiary education of which 8 learners have already graduated from their chosen institutions. The success of the programme is a tribute to its namesake, the revolutionary freedom fighter Eric Molobi, who was a political prisoner on Robben Island during Apartheid. Once released Molobi went on to be one of the founders of Kagiso Trust. These programmes, together with previous education reform programmes at Kagiso Trust, have enabled over 100,000 disadvantaged rural learners to receive quality education since its inception in 1985. Give the Gift of Education by donating to the Kagiso Trust Bold Step campaign. Go to: www.boldstep.co.za. By: Kaelo Engage

Governance is key to sustainability in NPO Sector While the ripple effect of the global economic crisis has taken its toll within the South African private sector, the havoc wrought in the non-profit sector has been horrendous. Some in the sector will tell you that in the first two years, they saw a decline of up to 50% in foreign funding, and more recently, local funding has diminished significantly.

his is tragic, not just for the non-profit organisations (NPOs) affected, but also for South Africa as a whole. A robust, functioning civil society is crucial in any country, supporting and underpinning democracy.

But could any of our NPOs have avoided the fallout from the global crisis or the decline in donor funds coming into South Africa post-1994? To some extent, yes, says Dean Zwo Nevhutalu, chairperson of the board of the Kagiso Trust.

Many NPOs perform roles that government simply does not have the capacity or mandate to perform – for example, animal welfare is essential to community health, as unhealthy or feral animals may pass disease on to humans, but this is hardly a priority in a country where human needs are so exigent.

Many have been guilty of operating on a wing and a prayer, instead of building organisations founded on clear principles of governance, which would include a strategy for tackling risk and creating long-term sustainability.

NPOs are equally important when it comes to evolving policy: many keep a close eye on developments in their fields of interest, and will provide vital input to proposed legislation or raise red flags when inappropriate policy is mooted.

“Many NPOs have been operating on an annual plan. They actually didn’t see the red lights coming,” says Nevhutalu.

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Focus on sustainability That is why the draft Independent Code of Governance for Non Profit Organisations, a code that was finalised by July this year, is of key importance. “Good governance creates an enabling environment and brings stability, sustainability and certainty into the organisation,” says Nevhutalu. In fact, the Kagiso Trust attributes much of its staying power and effectiveness to the governance principles with which it was imbued by its founding trustees, all of whom had a wealth of experience in organisations ranging from the UDF to the church to universities. As an example of versatility and selfsustainability, the trust is a potential role model for other NPOs. The draft Independent Code of Governance for Non Profit Organisations proposes eight ‘values’ relevant to the non-profit sector, as well as six key leadership principles, and five statutory legal and fiscal principles. Some of the core values embodied in this voluntary code include fidelity to the NGO’s purpose, transparency and accountability. The code lays out six operational principles that deal with issues such as sustainability and risk. As an NPO of proven effectiveness and with a history dating back 27 years, Kagiso Trust has had to work out good governance principles along the way. The results echo the principles embodied in the draft code, which has cherry-picked appropriate ideas from corporate governance codes. In addition the code includes principles which speak to the specific needs of organisations which serve the community, use funds that are not their own, and do not have profit-making as a key objective. Nevhutalu says that a fundamental principle of governance at the Kagiso trust is that the board of trustees is entrusted with resources that belong to the community. In a lot of instances people believe that when something belongs to a community it belongs to nobody, 10

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Accountability is key he says. But the trust approaches ownership of and engagement in community resources with a passion for accountability. “We exercise due diligence and ensure that all the resources are actually utilised for the purposes for which they were acquired,” says Nevhutalu of the Kagiso Trust. Long-term sustainability should form part of that accountability. “We have a vision and dream to multiply that which has been put in our trust. There are trusts which think that all they have to do is to utilise that which comes to them, and put it to good use in the short- term. But it doesn’t end there. If you think long-term, you can see what you have been given is a seed to multiply and grow stronger and bigger.” Like the Women’s Development Bank, Kagiso Trust has an investment arm, Kagiso Tiso Holdings. In fact, Kagiso may be the first NPO to have developed this model. This has enabled the organisation to create its own cushion for hard times, instead of relying day to day on donations. Nevhutalu endorses converting a percentage of resources available into long-term capital investment. “NPOs should look at functioning differently,” he says.

if NPOs from all sectors commit to the final Code of Governance, it could ensure not only sustainability in an insecure global economy, but also the kind of transparent and accountable civil society which can make such an enormous contribution to our country.

Kagiso on Education: Slow and Steady Kagiso Trust may not have a confrontational approach, but it takes shared responsibility very seriously.

Source: Mail & Guardian Published: 17 AUG 2012 12:54 - VICTORIA JOHN

gainst the backdrop of a spate of court actions over basic education, one organisation is

saying “slowly, slowly, easy does it”.

“We need organisations that are good at keeping the government accountable,” Kagiso Trust chief executive Kgotso Schoeman said, “but you also need strategising. There needs to be a parallel process. At Kagiso Trust we ask ourselves: ‘How do we help the government spend itsmoney?’ “We never make the government feel threatened. We try to build a strong and trusting relationship with it and only then do we start the robust discussions.” In March this year, non-governmental organisation Equal Education filed papers in a bid to force Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga to establish and publish minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure, Section 27 launched an urgent application in April against Motshekga and the Limpopo department of education over their failure to procure and deliver textbooks in the province and, in May, the Legal Resources Centre in Grahamstown filed an application to compel the Eastern Cape education department to fill vacant teaching posts.

Established in the 1980s under apartheid, the Kagiso Trust was largely a conduit for the European Union and the Japanese government to disburse funds to “work with people to achieve a society which will offer liberty, justice and freedom from poverty”. The organisation funded and supported education, human rights and freedom of the press, among other things. In the early 1990s, with South Africa moving towards democracy, the EU ceased funding the rust and an investment company, Kagiso Trust Investments, was set up to raise funds and make the organisation financially sustainable.

Handling egos “Government officials have huge egos ... I’ve learned that you always need to humble yourself in their company,” Schoeman said. “We tell them: ‘We don’t have the answers, but we think you, the government, has them, but maybe you’re not implementing them properly.’

When the trust realised that it could no longer be “everything to everyone”, as it had been in the 1980s, it decided to narrow its focus on education. It developed the Beyers Naudé school development programme, a four-year, step-by-step, rewardsdriven process with a main focus on conflict resolution. The trust identifies poorly performing schools and enters into an agreement with provincial educational authorities, which stipulates that the department matches the trust’s funding “cent for cent”. A team begins by tackling conflict among school staff, who are taken with selected parents and pupils on a weekend retreat. Experts are engaged to help with school management, mathematics, science and English. A matric pass rate target is set and, if the school achieves it, the last phase of the programme kicks in — it is rewarded with the development of infrastructure, including science and computer laboratories and libraries.

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The nitty-gritty Schoeman said the retreats were “where we get down to the real nitty-gritty”. “We sit down and we have difficult conversations — the kind that provincial officials don’t have with them.” Participants are asked questions such as: “What are two things you do personally that makes your school underperform?” As difficult truths have come to light, it has become clear that creating a safe space for staff to talk about interpersonal problems is essential for the smooth running of a school. At one retreat, it was revealed that a teacher had started a food garden, but any progress it made was consistently dashed. “She would close the gate to the garden so goats couldn’t come in and destroy it,” Schoeman said.

It is most evident in the Free State, where five schools had a matric pass rate of below 35% and all of them increased it to between 75% and 95%. But, Schoeman said, there had been some serious challenges, particularly when provinces did not keep their side of the bargain. “We did the programmes in all the provinces. We rewarded the schools and hoped that the government would see this and be excited. But in some provinces the government didn’t pay up,” he said. Another type of problem was illustrated when five computers from a computer laboratory built for a Free State school as a reward were stolen. “We were convinced that someone in the community knew where the computers were. We gave them two options: ‘In the next three months, you as a community go and get those computers back.

“But another teacher admitted he would come in every day and open the gate so the goats came in and ate the vegetables. He broke down and said he did this out of jealousy.”

If you don’t, we will take all of the computers in the laboratory back.’” The computers were not returned, so Schoeman arranged for the remaining equipment to be removed.

In another school, a principal felt a serious lack of support from the community and his staff because he was not from the town. During the retreat, one of his teachers admitted to inciting pupils to kill him.

“We got calls from people saying ‘you are punishing the learners for something they didn’t do’.

“The retreats force people to reflect and sometimes nasty stuff comes out,” Schoeman said.

Resounding success The programme had resounding success, he said, and had raised the matric pass rate in most of the 191 schools it was run.

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“Our view is that communities must take responsibility for the things we give them.” The outcome was that parents “came together” and arranged to pay for a permanent security guard at the school.

“We thought that was an amazing achievement. This idea that communities can’t be held accountable for crime doesn’t make sense.”

Generating its own funds Since 1993, the trust has been generating its own funds to pay for this and other programmes, such as the Eric Molobi scholarship programme, which sponsors disadvantaged scholars to get a tertiary education degree or diploma, primarily in the property or construction sector. The trust recently decided to share its investment model. “We thought: Why don’t we go and assist a few organisations to replicate the Kagiso Trust Investment model in other countries? Can we assist NGOs to reach this level of sustainability? Yes, we can,” Schoeman said. The organisation identified Kenya, Zambia and Ghana for teaching NGOs there how to be financially sustainable. “We will help them set up an investment company and the trust will own some of this company. We don’t want to own the majority stake — our main priority is to bring skills to the country. We will be holding these NGOs’ hands the whole way,” Schoeman said. “You need certainty in an NGO, not just depend on grants — that makes the organisation vulnerable. “We are not sure if it will work in other countries but we will try.”

Education Conversations Incentive rewards for teachers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will they work? By Themba Mola The discussion opened with a call for rewards for teachers who perform well. Kagiso Trust CEO Kgotso Schoeman said that performance rewards are essential if we want to rescue the education system from complete collapse. At present, committed teachers in the state sector receive no special benefits in return for their efforts; in most cases their salaries and salary increases are at the same level as what Mr Schoeman called chronically poor performing teachers. We should be learning from the private sector, where performance incentives help to retain good staff and acknowledge their value.

Incentive rewards are a standard feature in the business world. Can they be as effective in schools to improve the performance of teachers?

he current levels of commitment and motivation within the teaching profession is at the lowest it has ever been in South Africa. This was a view expressed at the Education Conversation forum held at the University of Johannesburg on the 17th July 2012. The event, hosted by Kagiso Trust, the University of Johannesburg and City Press, saw concerned stakeholders gather to discuss the complex challenge of how to evaluate and incentivise teacher performance. The Education Conversations are a series of dialogues initiated by the Kagiso Trust, the University of Johannesburg and the City Press aimed at fostering constructive and solution-oriented discussion around the state of education in South Africa. 14

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;The system cannot continue to rely on the passion and commitment of only a few individuals,â&#x20AC;? Schoeman warned, and he urged all stakeholders from government, organised labour, business and civil society to look at how they can play a role in rewarding teachers for their efforts. In particular, he called for a rethink on how the private sector engages in education. Interventions from business should be designed to assist schools to perform and to incentivise teachers to perform, he said. Indeed, Kagiso Trust has had considerable success with deploying a reward system in the schools that it supports, seeing pass rates soar from 58% to up to 92% over a handful of years in some cases. Kagiso has taken a controversial approach, asking teachers and schools to first demonstrate improvement in their performance of learners and then rewarding them with infrastructure and equipment. The trust also rewards teachers with an allexpenses-paid weekend trips.

However, applying a blanket approach is not a full proof solution. It will leave some loose strings that could very quickly unravel the system. The obsession of incentives can also encourage corruption if it is not carefully implemented. The question of how one should best evaluate performance is one conundrum. It requires developing an acceptable yardstick for performance, such as milestones for pass rates or set targets for numeracy or literacy. Some questioned whether qualifications should be factored into performance evaluation, since not all qualifications are relevant to teaching skills. Second is the challenge of how to provide an equitable measure of performance that factors in variables such as working in a poor-performing or high-performing environment, sizes of classes, access to resources, availability of support and leadership, individual capacity and, most difficult of all, the many outside influences on the performance of learners. Just as thorny is the question of what to do about chronically underperforming teachers and principals. Should they be fired or, to use more acceptable phrasing, removed from the system? And to what extent are managers at school or district level culpable in such poor performance? Kagiso Trust in fact urges government and labour to engage on this issue and find a solution. If they fail to grasp the nettle, they will pull down the rest of the system.

Thus the suggestion that rewards for officials should be linked to performance at schools was well received. Will the MEC of Limpopo get a bonus this year even though text books were not delivered? Can those teachers who have had to get by without text books be evaluated against the same yardstick as their peers in better resourced schools? These are uncomfortable questions.

Teachers are also de-motivated by issues such as frequent changes to the curriculum, incompetent subject advisors and a lack of resources and leadership. A similar note of caution came from the Joint Education Trust, which called for an integrated approach that drives improvements in curriculum, teacher knowledge, resources and work done in class, planning, delivery and assessment.

The most important question being â&#x20AC;&#x153;what about the learnerâ&#x20AC;? does anybody care?

JET argues that there is not enough evidence and studies available to support a direct correlation between incentives and improved teacher performance. Perhaps attention should also be given to intrinsic rewards in order to make the teaching A further hurdle is that a reward profession regain its former statue. system will require institutionalised evaluations. Here we need to find A solid argument emerged for a way of reassuring teachers that taking a business strategy approach, diagnostic assessments are not meant involving teachers in planning and to be punitive; instead they can help strategy sessions and allowing them to identify areas of weakness and build to take ownership of turning their strength. school around and improving learner performance. It will also take careful planning and significant capacity building to Targets and procedures should be implement an effective diagnostic decided together, with teachers given system throughout the education the reins and allowed to lead. system. Unless the support is reliable and consistent, it will indeed be viewed The conversation may have drawn as punitive. attention to the fact that there is no simple answer to a complex set of Representatives of organised labour questions. Nevertheless, the outcome made a strong case for a shift in focus was a hopeful one of honest and open from rewards to support. Teachers engagement and a willingness to work need mentorship and new teachers together to tackle uncomfortable need induction, said SADTU General issues. Secretary Mugwena Maluleke. While this may happen routinely in the private The next conversations will look into sector, in the state education system the role of the trade union movement such support is almost non-existent. in the schooling system. Maluleke outlined significant obstacles Themba Mola is the COO at to teacher performance that cannot be resolved by a reward system. The Kagiso Trust. greatest challenge for teachers in the state sector, he said, is their workload. The size of classes has a direct impact on teacher morale and performance.

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Johann Naudé talks at first Beyers Naudé lecture for 2012 The University of the Free State (UFS) together with Kagiso Trust, presented the first Beyers Naudé lecture for 2012 on its South Campus in Bloemfontein last week. Speakers like Dr Wilmot James, Member of Parliament, Mr Johann Naudé, son of Dr Beyers Naudé, Mr Sipho Hlongwane, writer and columnist for the Daily Maverick and Ms Bontle Senne, Managing Director for the PUKU Children’s Literature Foundation, all gave a lecture around this year’s theme: Collaborative partnerships for social cohesion: Building a nation with ethics.

r Beyers Naudé played a major role in the formation of Kagiso Trust. His contribution to the trust and the fight against oppression in South Africa, as well as his challenging of the establishment from which he came, makes him one of South Africa’s courageous heroes. Kagiso Trust thus saw it fit to celebrate the life of this clerical activist through a Memorial Lecture. The Beyers Naudé Memorial Lecture is an effort by the Trust and universities to engage South Africans into a dialogue about issues affecting our nation. Mr Johann Naudé talked about the lessons they as children learnt from their parents as well as his father’s decision to respond to the needs of the people in South Africa. Even before the Sharpeville Massacre, Dr Naudé began a self-transformation that led to his rejection of apartheid. “Apartheid had no theological or scriptural grounds and my father decided to resign from the church. After that, he started to talk openly against apartheid and he also paid the price for that. For seven years he was under house arrest and we as his children also felt the effect of his decision.

At the University of Pretoria in a residence where I stayed as a student I was called in and told that I would be treated as an outcast. Loans and jobs were also closed for us as children and as a result, we all started our own businesses,” Mr Naudé said. “Furthermore, our parents taught us to believe in ourselves. He also said we have rights and we can only demand those rights if we take the responsibility that goes with it. My father also taught us to honour and to respect our fellow men, elderly people and the culture of people different from us. Dr Wilmot James said that there were two things consistent in the life of Dr Beyers Naudé, namely justice and fairness. “There are many Nelson Mandelas and Beyers Naudés out there. It is the responsibility of political parties and institutions to motivate such leadership. “We in South Africa fall very short of ethics. We can start by respecting each other and taking care of one another”

We must ask ourselves: Are my actions and decisions ethical and will they have fair consequences?” Dr James said. Mr Hlongwane focused his presentation on the ethics part of the theme. He said: “We in South Africa fall very short of ethics. We can start by respecting each other and taking care of one another. The Constitution will not mean a thing if we fail to respect and trust one another. We will have no cohesive society if we continue to treat those different from us like dirt. It is also our ethical duty to build up the disadvantaged. In her discussion, Ms Senne emphasised the role of the youth in South Africa. “Our youth is failing our state because our state is failing our youth. Their role is to bring cohesion and acts of courageousness to the table. For them to contribute in a practical and sustainable manner, they need to start making the changes they want to see in society. They are young people and they can make it work because they do have access to the necessary means (social networks) to get things done. They must get involved,” she said.

At the event were, from the left: Ms Bontle Senne, Managing Director for the PUKU Children’s Literature Foundation, Mr Sipho Hlongwane, writer and columnist for the Daily Maverick, Prof. Nicky Morgan, Vice-Rector: Operations at the UFS, Mr Themba Mola, Chief Operations Officer at Kagiso Trust, Mr Johann Naudé, son of Dr Beyers Naudé, and Dr Choice Makhetha, Vice-Rector: External Relations. 16

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One on One with

Rev. Yoyo Sibisi BNSDP National Programme Manager

ev. Yoyo Sibisi is a passionate man, whose love for people and changing their lives, translates in his speak. Retelling his story, I understand where he sources his humble roots of humanity. Born in Soweto and raised in picturesque small community of Ledig in Rustenburg, Rev. Sibisi valued education and what it represented in his life. “I never really noticed our humble home situation. I was like other kids, clothed and fed. So I ignored the poverty and lived life like a normal child. My situation never determined who I’d become.” “I often tell the teachers and learners I work with that attitude changes everything; undermining oneself is letting your social situation determine your spirit,” he adds. Pastor Sibisi later moved from Rustenburg, returning to Soweto to carve out what would be a successful career in education stewardship and training. After completing his educator training at VISTA (now the University of Johannesburg), Mr Sibisi moved to the Mpumalanga province where he taught at Elangewane High School. It is here that he joined teacher’s union SADTU. At SADTU, Sibisi flourished in his role, gaining promotion to regional secretary, and was soon involved in South Africa’s new education policy Outcomes Based Education.

He moved on to the private sector under George Nene and associates, training staff at the mega poultry firm Early Bird Farm. However, his calling for the teaching profession soon had him return, joining the Kagiso Trust as Programme Manager, under the Beyers Naude Schools Development Programme. “There is nothing more fulfilling than bringing about change and leaving a community fully independent.” Rev. Yoyo Sibisi was responsible for training educators during programme team building retreats, using the word and motivation to change attitudes of educators in rural-based schools. His achievements led to his appointment as Senior Programme Manager at Kagiso Trust’s BNSDP. He has since hit the ground running serving communities around the country. “The real work starts after the retreat programmes,” he says. “But, it’s always a good sign that when you leave these communities, people are confident, happy and most importantly, independent.” “We are there to ignite the Kagiso Trust Spirit and to celebrate human achievements,” he adds.

By Motheo Khoaripe

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Rising Star Simon Munyai

The newest member to join our amazing team is a soft spoken patient character named Simon Phathushedzo Munyai.

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imon joined Kagiso Trust at grassroots level in 2005 under the Beyers Naude Schools Development Programme after his school was earmarked as a highly performing institution. Simon did some earmarking of his own that year. Being in grade 11 at the time, he studied hard during his final exams to reach grade 12. In his final year at the school, with his steady work and patient approach to his studies, the young man passed with aplomb at Ndaedzo Secondary School. With all the excitement of his academic scorecard, Simon realised that his dream to further his studies would be short-lived as his humble background although offering him a good societal structure –would fall short in offering him the financial power.

experience. Kagiso Trust has supported me throughout and I would love to further my relationship with them, even when I’m well into my career.”

In this case, hard work made his luck as Kagiso Trust rescued his academic hopes with a full scholarship from the Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme. Here he joined the REAP programme which enrolled him at the Tshwane University of Technology, where he carried out his diploma in Financial Sciences juggling numbers.

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After graduating in 2011, the Kagiso Trust welcomed the wonder boy from Vhenda as a grown young adult, ready for the workplace, where he helps with client invoicing and general accounting practice.

“I’ve soaked in the whole experience. Kagiso Trust has supported me throughout excellent and I would love to further my relationship with them, even when I’m well into my “I’ve soaked in the whole career.”

Believing his dreams were dashed, Mr Munyai got the pleasant surprise of a well- deserved helping hand.

As he got orientated into the campus lifestyle and led life away from his family, with the support of the REAP programme and Mam’ Maria’s guidance, Mr Munyai excelled in his studies, making an impression on the entire Kagiso Trust family.

Simon has expressed his passion for the Kagiso Trust brand and the help he has been offered through hard work and brilliance.

“I want to be part of the Bold Step campaign as well!” he says. “I want to give back to others like me who need an opportunity and a chance to prove themselves. Maybe I should be the Ambassador of the Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme!” he says jokingly. His character and personality is giving and it’s mirrored in the man he quotes the most, Mahatma Ghandi: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

MY TRIP TO ATLANTA By Thato Ntai “My trip to Atlanta”... the first thing that comes to mind when I say those words is... happiness, exitement, fun and a great learning experience. My mind recalls the day I sat in the plane, right next to the window with a big smile on my face and no worries whatsoever. I was so happy that I forgot to be scared of the plane ride because my happiness overcame my fear of flying for the first time. I sat next to the ‘oh so exited’ Ntombezintle Manyathi, who I instantly got along with. We shortened the 16 hour flight by talking and laughing hours away! As we landed we were welcomed by thousands of large, green trees all over the city. We got off the plane and I said “hello” to Atlanta... my long awaited destination! At first it did not feel very different from home, but as we entered the airport building and I saw people it is then that I could feel that I was in a foreign continent. We arrived at Emory University. Three words to describe it would be Big, Bright and Beautiful.

I certainly enjoyed my stay there; the beds were comfortable and the food was good, what more could I ask for? The first highlight of my tour was The Carter Centre and Museum where I had the privilege of meeting USA’s 39th president Jimmy carter and his wife. I learned about his life history and presidency; this taught me that the president’s job is much tougher than it seems as it actually requires daily hard work and tough decision making. The second highlight was spending the weekend with my host family; this experience gave me a taste of life in Atlanta life. I had a great time exploring the city. We went to the Georgia Aquarium, Stone Mountain and at the Chick-Fil-A corporate tour. As the other international and local youth arrived, I had fun meeting and networking with them, exchanging thoughts and experiences, learning about their different countries in terms of culture, beliefs and lifestyles, and eventually making friends in the process. This was my third highlight.

The fourth highlight of my trip was the passion and purpose sessions we attended. Different successful people from different career fields such as sports, entertainment and business gave us tips on success, reaching goals, sharing words of wisdom and motivation. Those people proved to me that through hard work, dedication, passion and love for what you do, success is guaranteed. The powered by service training which we as the Usher’s New Look Youth conducted at middle schools in Atlanta, was a great learning experience as I got the opportunity to stand and teach leadership skills while at the same time learning these skills myself. The sixth highlight was a session called Expressions where all the Usher’s New Look Youth were given the platform to express their talents. I performed a poem speaking of issues which are affecting my generation and the responsibility I have to raise awareness and try to alleviate them. I received great remarks about it and this really boosted my self-confidence.

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To top it all off, I got the chance to meet Usher Raymond himself! This was very exciting and I found myself in awe when I realized that he is a very humble and down to earth man with great passion for service and giving back. The Usher and Friends concert was the cherry on top as I got a chance to see him perform live with Hip Hop sensations Ludacris and T.I. This was a great way to end the conference. I cannot wait to put all I have learned into action and have great plans that I wish to pursue. One thing that I think would most definitely put all my skills and knowledge into play would be establishing a Usher’s New Look South Africa because I will not only be exercising my skills to the fullest but I will also be giving other underprivileged South African youth a taste of my Usher’s New Look experience. I fall into a pool of overwhelming joy and gratitude for all the people who were responsible for ensuring the possibility, joy and success of my trip. I salute all of them in grattitude.The Usher’s New Look Foundation, Tim Tebeila Foundation, Kagiso Trust, Minister of Education of the Free State, University of the Free State, Kgolathuto Secondary School, Chief of Makeneng Village, the Makeneng Village community as well as my family and friends.

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Star Hero Captures the Essence of Kagiso Trust Star Hero Communications and Events was commissioned by Kagiso Trust to produce a documentary interviewing four of the organisation’s Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme recipients from around rural South Africa. Sibusiso Mahlangu, the director of the beneficiary documentary, shared his thoughts on his experience learning more about these hard working young, ambitious people and meeting their families.

nBrief: What were your expectations prior to embarking on this journey of shooting the beneficiary documentary? Sibusiso: I had no expectations. Having worked on several projects by Kagiso Trust, I was very knowledgeable about the organisation’s programmes and welcomed this as another learning experience.

The human stories behind the stats have so much value and I commend Kagiso Trust for making an effort to get to know the people whose lives they transform.

As someone who excelled at Mathematics and Science in his high school years, during school holidays, he tutors learners in and around his community.

This documentary reaffirmed why we choose to work with organisations such as Kagiso Trust that have a huge impact on positively changing the lives of our people.

This notion of not just developing oneself but also empowering one’s community is one of the core values of Kagiso Trust and is a common thread that’s replicated by all the scholarship recipients we met.

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I was particularly touched by Cebolenkosi Khumalo, an EMSP recipient from a poverty-stricken area in rural KwaZulu Natal. This young man has so much hope in his eyes, and by speaking to him, one can’t help but be moved by him.

Sibusiso: I was touched by the work of Kagiso Trust while hearing about the impact the Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme has made on the recipients, their families and their communities.

His story tells of an aspiring communitybuilder who not only appreciates the opportunity presented to him by Kagiso Trust, but also works at motivating, inspiring and empowering those around him.

I knew that these young people we would be interviewing are from disadvantaged areas in South Africa and that my role was simply to tell their stories behind the lens. InBrief: What were highlights of the trip?

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Another story is that of Moeketsi Phajane who comes from the Free State. He was brought up by his grandmother and their only source of income used to be his grandmother’s social grant. Coming from a very poor background, Moeketsi cites that he came to realise that the only way he could do away with poverty in his life was to acquire good education. www.boldstep.co.za

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He then decided that he would focus on his studies and excel in Mathematics and Physical Science. He chose to perform very well in these subjects because he had realised that those were gateway subjects towards a degree in civil engineering as he had always envisaged a qualification in this field. Moeketsi has been reported as a confident student with good leadership abilities and is currently a lecturer at the Vaal FET College I could go on and on about each one of them as they have all proven to have been worthy recipients of the Eric Molobi Scholarship. One will see the recipients’ stories unfold in the documentary, which will be ready by early September. InBrief: In your view, how does the Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme connect to the Bold Step campaign? Sibusiso: There is a real need for South Africans to invest in changing the sordid state of education in our country, and Kagiso Trust is pioneering this movement through its Bold Step campaign as an extension to the impressive work they do in their various programmes. It’s time for all of us to roll up our sleeves and get involved. With this campaign, many more young people like Cebolenkosi will have a chance to succeed in life and they, in turn, will help build this nation – it’s a positive ripple effect. InBrief: Besides also shooting the Bold Step campaign videos, Star Hero has also been tasked with producing documentaries on the organisation’s Trustees and some of the successful sustainable projects that Kagiso Trust has invested in over the years. One of these projects includes Mvula Trust, which has continued to grow annually to the point where it is now managing projects with a total annual turnover of close to R200 million.

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THE TOP ISSUES FACING MY GENERATION By Thato Ntai from Kgola Thuto Secondary School in Qwaqwa â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one of the BNSDP schools

n 1994 South Africa held its first democratic elections and after those elections, a new democratic era was born which was determined to do away with injustices of the Apartheid era which ruled for more than four decades. New hope, enthusiasm, determination was born and manifested inside the million hearts of South Africans especially the blacks who directly suffered the hardships and injustices brought about Apartheid , they finally saw a freedom filled life without poverty and racism. Youth specifically saw an open door of opportunities for quality education and job opportunities hence a better life of which their parents and grandparents were robbed off seemed. Today about a decade and a half after 1994 poverty is the root and umbrella of most top issues facing my generation today which results from the injustices of the past which have not yet been rectified. Six out of ten children of S.A children live in poverty mostly in rural areas and 66% of South African children live in severe poverty, this breeds as a storm

to numerous other issues which stem from poverty. The first being education disparity, school enrolment is high at primary and secondary levels but an estimated five percent of children between the ages of ten and sixteen are not in school. Over seventy percent of people aged between seven and twenty four years of age are attending educational institutions in South Africa a slightly lower figure than in previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lack of money for fees, statistics South Africa as it released the general household survey (GHS) 2011. The second issue is peer pressure which also acts as an umbrella to issues such as teenage pregnancy because seventy percent of teenagers who drop out of school especially under the age of fifteen feel pressured to have sex. Three out of four girls report that the reason they have sex is because their boyfriends want them to.

The third issue is drug and alcohol abuse. On 15 March 2011, President Jacob Zuma stated that the first age of experimentation with substances has dropped from teenagers to children between 9 and 10 years old, reports state that children between ages of 9 and 15 start with cigarettes, dagga and mandrax. Million homes around S.A are child headed due to parents leaving for work or children becoming orphaned by death of parents due to HIV or Aids, this affects these children emotionally and usually results in bad reluctant behaviour. These are the top issues that me and my generation are faced with on a daily basis, I witness and experience these issues within my community and country as a whole but I believe that through the support of our communities and the government , we as the youth possess the ability to address, revise, and alleviate these issues.

Other causes of teenage pregnancy are inconsistent use of birth control and rape and this also increase the spread of HIV infections.

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Kagiso Trust: Celebrating

Kagiso Trust, in partnership with the Tim Tebeila Foundation, celebrated Nelson Mandela Day with a Leadership Workshop at Kgola-Thuto Secondary School. Kgola-Thuto was selected as the venue as the school forms part of Kagiso Trust’s successful development programme, the Beyers Naude Schools Development Programme. Kagiso Trust, through its contributions to a number of projects, has made a significant impact in the education and entrepreneurship spaces in South Africa, with our primary focus on education and training, capacity building, and economic development. We currently have three programmes: the Beyers Naude Schools Development Programme (BNSDP), the Eric Molobi Scholarship Programme (EMSP), and the Kagiso Enterprises Rural Private Equity Fund (KERPEF). According to Kagiso Trust Chief Operations Officer Themba Mola, the workshop was aimed at making learners aware of former President Mandela’s leadership and attributes during his heydays.

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“President Mandela’s keenness in working for people was powered by service and he was and still is a great leader,” said Mola. He added by saying that getting more involved in education means Kagiso Trust wants to see Thabo Mofutsanyana schools getting the best results at the end of the year. “We have an agreement with the Free State Department of Education until 2015 to ensure that the 167 schools we have partnered with get better results at the end of each year,” he revealed. Mola also pointed out that their programme cannot succeed if parents, learners and educators do not form part of the change. The workshop included a panel discussion held around the World Leadership Conference that was attended by five South African youth and a live crossover to USA singer Usher Raymond’s New Look Foundation. Well-known wealthy South African businessman Tim Tebeila and motivational speaker Linda Ntuli were amongst the speakers.

Kagiso Trustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Future Financial Projections

The operational health of any organisation solely relies on the strength of its fiscal operations, and this has been no different for Kagiso Trust. With one of the most successful investment portfolios, the organisation spoke to In Brief on its Financial Projections and how it is manoeuvring the stagnant economic conditions. We will speak to Mzomhle Nyenjana, the Financial Manager at Kagiso Trust, about the ins and outs of funding projects and maintaining the funding of projects even during tough economic times.

QA &

In the next issue of In-brief Mzomhle will give insight on the following financial issues

In Brief: With the year presenting tough economic times and possible effects from the Eurozone crisis, how does the Financial Department keep adrift of the hard economic waves? IB: What are some of the financial strategies that he employs to keep the Kagiso Trust ship at full steam?

IB: What are some of the difficulties that he comes across when acquiring funding or seeking investments for KT? IB: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve reached the third quarter of the year, what are some of the financial projections that we can expect from Kagiso Trust in the next few years?