A MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: HOW FRIENDS HELPED EACH OTHER GRADUATE

A group of seven friends who met as first-year students at Walter Sisulu University’s Komani Campus have helped each other graduate with a Diploma in Local government Finance (LGF).

The brothers, as the group affectionately refers to themselves, met back in 2021 as both classmates and housemates after enrolling in the same LF course, and also coincidentally being housed at the same student residence, called Bahama in Komani.

“We met as freshers at our residence three years ago and from then on we started assisting each other with our academic challenges and as well as issues confronting us on a personal level. We eventually started calling each other brother because of how close we became over the years, “said one of the friends, Sinesipo Somakwabe.

The friendship proved quite fruitful, not just on the side of sentiment, but in helping the group successfully navigate the tough academic terrain thanks to many group study sessions they would participate in during exams and assessments.  

At the heart of the friendship has also been the group’s appetite and readiness to dream big, even coining a name for the group, Team Management, after the friends spent numerous nights imagining themselves as the next generation of captains of industry.

“As friends with the same goals and aspirations to succeed, we thought it most appropriate to give ourselves a name that would best capture the spirit and essence of the group – a group with bright futures CEOs, COOs, directors, “said Somkwabe.

Born and bred in KwaZulu Natal’s Malangeni location, Vukani Ngema said he chose LGF because it will afford him an opportunity to work with the community in improving the financial status of his local government.

Ngema said: “I’m a person who generally likes to help people by assisting in my community, so this course is exactly something that I’ve aimed to do with my life. As the next generation, we must turn the terrible situations around in this country, community by community. “         

By Thando Cezula