Graduates with no impact worry premier

LIMPOPO premier wants doctorate and master's degrees to solve provincial problems.

Dr Phophi Ramathuba told University of Limpopo (UL) during a collaborative meeting on Tuesday, 22 April.

She said they want to see PhD and master's degrees bringing solutions to problems faced by Limpopo and the country.

The meeting is said to have focused on collaborative opportunities in education, healthcare, climate and other areas that will contribute to the province's sustainable growth and development.

These meetings took place after the university held its 2025 Autumn Graduation ceremony between 7 and 14 April during which 35 PhDs and 226 Masters degrees were conferred.

"We want to see those PhDs and master's degrees translate into solutions for our province and the country. I can't celebrate having TVETs in our Human Resources Development Council without the university being part of the skills programme. We need a strong relationship with the university to ensure complete offerings," said Ramathuba.

She was accompanied by, among others, Education MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya and Health MEC Dieketseng Mashego.

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Commenting on the calibre of graduates produced by UL, Ramathuba said: "We recently witnessed growth in the calibre of graduates the university is producing during their autumn graduations. What is of concern is that with such quality graduates, this province needs to see more impact on the lives of people we lead."

Speaking during this meeting, Vice Chancellor at UL Professor Mahlo Mokgalong expressed that the social and economic impact of the university is evident in the growth of Mankweng and its surroundings.

"We need more structured interactions that could greatly influence growth patterns within our vicinity and across the province," he said.

The university is reportedly finalising the registration of a mining engineering degree, which aims to tap into the province's mineral resources, particularly renewable energy.

An agreement has been reached to hold a planning session between the two parties in the next three months.

Reacting to the meeting, some UL students said all they want are jobs.

Karabo Sebetha (22), who is doing his final year in Education, said: "My biggest worry is job-hunting. We want jobs. You can't study for four years and have to sit at home because of unemployment. It's depressing."

Another student, Dimakatso Mamabolo, said they hope the meeting yields results.

"We want to see results. Whatever they discussed should bring results. At the end of the day, the youth unemployment rate is high, and these meetings should address such issues."