By: Khethukuthula Lembethe

The Moses Kotane Institute held a fundraising Gala Dinner at Coastlands Hotel Umhlanga on Friday.

The evening highlighted the importance of education, engineering and science in our country.

This event had great significance as it was at the eve of Women’s Day as well Moses Kotane’s birthday.

Chairperson of the Moses Kotane Institute and Head of Corporative Affairs at De Beers, Sakhile Ngcobo gave a brief summary of MKI through the years since 2009.

Ngcobo acknowledged the presence of representative of the ANC as Kotane loved the party and also reminding everyone that the main purpose of the dinner was to raise money.

“The institute aims to creating a stand-alone entity, developing science and technology, especially in the rural areas where there are no opportunities,” said Ngcobo.

MKI has touched lives of more than 10000 students, offered high flyers programmes, and also work very closely with teachers.

Those students, which are part of the institute, go back to their community and schools to encourage and support other learners.

“Moses Kotane was a mentor of Nelson Mandela and other ANC leader, he was a man guided by honesty and ubuntu,” Ngcobo highlight.

The mentoring goes beyond academics the students are fed and looked after, given professional improvement and bridging the gap between teachers and learners and the success in gratifying.

Sizwe Nene is a student beneficiary of the MKI –from a village called kwaNyuswa – raised by his grandmother, who was the bread winner throughout his childhood.

Nene’s passion drove him to start fixing radios and TV’s in his community to support himself.

“I started fixing computers without studying computers in school, and that is how I knew it was God given talent,” Nene said.

Another beneficiary, Nomfundo wrote a poem of gratitude describing the institute as a family. She said they are driven by spirit of ubuntu and sang a song of unity titled, “one big family”.

The son of Moses Kotane, Sam Kotane expressed his gratitude to all those part of the institute.

He said, “Moses Kotane was mostly self taught, brought up by God fearing Christians, his parents.”

KZN MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Michael Mabuyakhulu, applauded the MKI for bridging the gap in education.