Business Chamber honours outgoing rector

The Vanderbijlpark Business Chamber recently awarded an honorary membership to the North-West University’s (NWU’s) outgoing Vaal Triangle Campus rector, Prof Thanyani Mariba. Members of the NWU, the Vaal Triangle Campus community (NWU Vaal), representatives of local government structures, leaders in business and industry as well as other high-ranking dignitaries recently came together to bid a fond farewell to Prof Thanyani Mariba. The farewell, which was hosted at the Quest Conference Centre in Vanderbijlpark, included a five course meal while members of the university community, alumni and the business fraternity took to the stage to deliver messages of gratitude and good wishes to Prof Mariba and his family. Speakers included Prof Dan Kgwadi (Vice-Chancellor), Prof Martin Oosthuizen (Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching-Learning), Prof Frikkie van Niekerk (Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Technology), Prof Linda du Plessis (Campus Vice-Rector), Mr Betheul Mokoena (outgoing Student Representative Council Chairperson) and Mr Klippies Kritzinger (Vanderbijlpark Business Chamber). In his address Mr Kritzinger applauded Prof Mariba for his pioneering spirit and the fact that he played a major role in breaking down the proverbial fences between industry, business and higher education – especially within the Vaal Triangle region. He told the audience how he first got to meet Prof Mariba and how humbled he was that the campus rector pro-actively sought him (Kritzinger) out in an effort to build better relations between industry, business and the university. “Together we can achieve so much more and broaden the scope of innovation and success,” said Kritzinger and added that the foundation set by Prof Mariba – in terms of collaboration and the support towards the vesting of an entrepreneurial culture within the Vaal Triangle region, will remain a living legacy for the outgoing campus rector.