Our Executive Mayor once again does us proud

  • Our Executive Mayor once again does us proud

    His- Worship the Executive Mayor, Cllr Tjhetane Makwanyane Harold Mofokeng was identified as a worthy recipient of the University of the Free State’s Vice-Rector’s Award for Community Engagement. According to the statement by the university, the Award is in recognition of “Outstanding Service, Commitment and Excellence in the field of Community Engagement.

    Category: Leadership in Community Engagement

    For showing excellent leadership as Executive Mayor of Dihlabeng Local Municipality in creating and supporting various educational interventions to the benefit of the local learners and educators, as well as his leadership in unifying residents through the Social Cohesion Project in partnership with the University of the Free State.”

    A brief background

    The Dihlabeng Local Municipality and the University of the Free State signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in March 2011. The preamble to the MoU reads thus:

    “In recognition of the benefits to be gained through cooperation agreement and/or strategic partnership between DLM and the UFS enter into this MoU for the next five years. The MoU aims inter alia to facilitate community engagement/development of municipal work”

    The cooperation includes but not limited to the following activities that support:

    • Provision of research and other intellectual expertise regarding local economic development of our area as well as Bethlehem as one of our towns assuming the status of being an Economic hub of the Eastern Free State;
    • Assistance by the University to high schools in Dihlabeng area which are struggling to produce excellent Grade 12/ Matric results;
    • Provision of assistance with regard to sporting codes as well as well as facilities or High Performance Centre for Free State Stars;
    • Provision of executive leadership course to councillors and management of Dihlabeng;
    • Support with Dihlabeng’s Graduate Development Programme for unemployed graduates and internship for Dihlabeng graduates; and
    • The existing Community Engagement project by UFS at Paul Roux and its growth to the serve the Dihlabeng Local Municipality.

    The Executive Mayor is also the ambassador of social cohesion and development in Dihlabeng. Ever since the FIFA World Cup 2010, the Executive Mayor has tirelessly been on a campaign of social cohesion. The municipality and UFS hosted a successful social cohesion workshop on the 27 September 2012 titled “Working together to create a caring and proud community”.

    Congratulations Dear Executive Mayor on being honoured, we know you are not done yet, more are still coming!!