"Be bold and resourceful" - Fuzile
- By Schalk Mouton
The education that the 282 Wits BCom graduates have received during the past three years should set them up with the skills needed to cope in the workplace, but they might have to dig deep within themselves to overcome life’s pressures.
This was the key message from Mr Lungisa Fuzile, Director General of National Treasury at their graduation ceremony on the afternoon of 30 March 2015.
"The key determinant in success in any endeavour is not only talent and opportunity, but the tenacious pursuit of one's goals despite setbacks," he said.
Fuzile, who holds a Master's degree in Commerce, inspired the new graduates to go out and tackle the challenges that they will face in the workplace by being bold and resourceful.
"Rest assured, there will be gaps between what you have studied here, and what you will encounter in the world of work, but if you come from an esteemed university such as this one, you stand a far better chance of overcoming any challenge that the world presents to you," he said.
Quoting former President Nelson Mandela on education, Fuzile said education gives people the ability to have a better start in their lives than that of their parents.
"It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor; that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine; that the child of a farmworker can become the president of a great nation, so go out there with the good qualification that you have [worked so hard to earn] and face the world with it," he encouraged the graduates.
Shifting focus to the role of universities, Fuzile said they play a much larger role than simply training students for the workplace. They also act as a society’s critic and conscience.
"Universities play a critical role in the scientific and technological advancement of any nation," he said.
The work of universities with an ethos of creativity and open investigation often filter down to a society, either directly through the application of research findings, or indirectly through the production of graduates, replete with innovative ideas and expectations.
“Go out there with the good qualification that you have [worked so hard to earn], and face the world with it,” he challenged the graduates. To listen to his speech, .