By Luvuyo Mjekula
Grade 12 learners from Khutliso Daniels Secondary School in Joza were excited to get the opportunity to interact with court officials and learn about the Eastern Cape judiciary during a tour of the Makhanda High Court on Thursday.
With the tour, court management sought to expose the learners to the working environment, not only inside the court building, but the judiciary, particularly in the Eastern Cape.
The programme was apparently geared towards celebrating Youth Month and formed part of the High Court and Department of Justice and Constitutional Development’s social responsibility projects.
Khutliso Daniels principal Radio Mcuba explained that the Makhanda High Court had invited 15 learners from the school. However, only 11 made the trip. Mcuba said the invitation came in the middle of mid-year exams, and that he had chosen learners who were not writing on Thursday. “They showed us you don’t necessarily have to be a judge or a prosecutor to work in the judiciary, you can get job opportunities in the administration side as well,” said Mcuba.
A presentation was also prepared for the learners, taking them through the set up and hierachy of the High Court and the judiciary in the Eastern Cape, from the Judge President down to the employee at the bottom of the institution, Mcuba stated.
The objective of the programme was to help the young learners make informed future career decisions.
“As a school we are encouraged, particularly the children who are so excited. This programme is apparently the first of its kind. We said to them, ‘you chose the best school for this project. We are a school of excellence – we are a school with the best results in Makhanda. You did not waste your resources’,” Mcuba said.
Khutliso Daniels has been one of the top performing schools in the Sarah Baartman District in recent years, and Mcuba vowed to keep striving for excellence.
The 11 learners were also happy to receive gifts including a calendar, a pen and a keyholder during the tour. Grocott’s Mail spoke to some of the learners about their experience on the day.
Akholiwe Dasa, 18, said: “I felt encouraged by this. It is rare to get opportunities like this, especially at this young age. We were not exposed to these things and it makes me happy that I can, after matric, get an opportunity to become a lawyer.”
Lindokuhle Mankayi said he was motivated to carry on takig his studies seriously and working hard because the tour showed him opportunities the future holds. Even though his forte is mathematics and economics, he learnt a great deal from the tour.
