The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has kickstarted the 2025 academic year on a high note, as the municipality's councillors and officials handed over essential resources, to ensure that learners are well equipped for a successful school year ahead.
The municipality’s mayor, Babalwa Lobishe marked the opening of the new school year by launching a Back-to-School campaign at Gqeberha City Hall, on Wednesday.
Lobishe is spearheading a Back-to-School campaign to provide essential resources, including sanitary towels, school shoes, and maths and science books.
The mayor said the campaign seeks to scrap the underprivilege identity among pupils in Nelson Mandela Bay, as thousands of learners returned to school.
"We have launched this campaign with the aim of making sure that no child goes to school and finds themselves feeling under privileged. We have noticed that there are kids who are still experiencing extreme means of living in poverty, so we want to address this scourge, and ensure that every learner gets assistance.”
Lobishe has also invited all residents, including, businesses, councillors and employees, who want to make a difference to end period poverty in the metro, to come forward and assist with essential resources.
“It is not only the physical stuff that we appeal to our residents to donate, but also their time by volunteering hours to provide learner support in areas, such as homework, and providing tutorials to those in need, which will make a difference in improving learner academic performance.”
"We make this call to everyone in our city to come and donate their time, funds and essential academic resources, for the betterment of the future of our children in the city,” Lobishe explained.
The mayor also used the opportunity to congratulate the class of 2024 Matriculants, who have made the municipality proud with impressive results.
The Eastern Cape’s Class of 2024 set a new record of 84.9% pass rate, a notable shift from the 76.5% in 2019 to 84.9% in 2024, representing a 4.17% shift over the term.
“We still believe in the saying that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and understand that positive results at Matric level are a culmination of work and support that started from Grade 1.
Donations for essential resources can be dropped off at any Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Building, including City Hall in Gqeberha, metro customer care centres, and operational libraries around the metro. – SAnews.gov.za
