Assistant Director: Human Resource Information and Performance Management at KwaZulu-Natal Treasury, Mr Simphiwe Mnomiya graduated Cum Laude and obtained the prestigious Dean’s Merit award for academic excellence for his Postgraduate Diploma: Human Resources at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Autumn Graduation ceremony held at the Olive Convention Centre (OCC) on Monday night (29 May 2023).
Mnomiya (32) from eMabomvini village at Msinga was proud of himself for managing to excel in his studies despite his busy work schedule.
Speaking about his decision to further his studies, Mnomiya said: “I decided to further my studies in line with my career choice being a Human Resources Specialist. I also believe that universities, colleges and any other tertiary institutions are melting pots of thoughts, views and ideas, and being exposed to such will provide opportunities to greatly expand my interpretations of Human Resources on a superior scale,” he shared.
Furthermore, he added that his journey at DUT was filled with delight, anticipation, excitement, disappointments and challenges.
“There were quite a number of challenges; I think residing in Pietermaritzburg and having to attend lectures in Durban posed a stern challenge. As someone who works full-time, after a hard day at work, at times I lacked the motivation to go through substantial piles of study material which led to procrastination. It felt like there was not enough time to balance my deliverables at work and to deliver quality work at school,” he divulged.
In order to overcome these challenges he concentrated primarily on what he could control. Mnomiya believes time management was a key factor in overcoming the challenges he faced.
When asked what motivated him to excel in his studies Mnomiya said, “I have always tried to set above average standards for myself which come with a feel-good factor if attained. I think the learning opportunity also motivated me to do well, the opportunity of being proud of myself whenever I reflect on my performance gave me that edge. Lastly, the student-lecturer relationship also pushed me to do well as I noted the effort being put by our lecturers and I did not want to let them down,” he explained.
His success tip to students is for them to remain humble, be respectful and always remember where they come from.
Pictured: KZN Provincial Treasury Assistant Director, Mr Simphiwe Mnomiya.
Photographer: Khulasande Tshayile.
Lethukuthula Ngubane
