The memory of Cobus Bezuidenhout, Khanya EMDC co-ordinator for the Overberg, lives on in the work being done by the Khanya Project. This was the message at the announcement of the finalists in this year’s Cobus Bezuidenhout Award. The Awards were the highlight of the dinner held at Zevenwacht Wine Estate as part of the iNet/SSAT and Khanya Annual Conference for principals.

Alan Mills, Africa Partnership Manager for iNet/SSAT, reflecting on his organisation’s partnership with the Khanya Project since 2003, explained that they had been so moved by what had been achieved in Khanya schools that, on hearing of Cobus’s tragic death, they had established the Award in memory of his work and the passion he brought to his job.

The Khanya Project, once again a finalist in the Premier’s Service Excellence Awards, attributes its success to the passion, innovation and excellence of its staff. Programme Manager of the Project, Kobus van Wyk, believes in celebrating excellence and innovation, but suggests that it is even better to live with it and he is very proud of what the project has achieved.

Nominees for the Cobus Bezuidenhout Award were nominated by their peers and the nomination had to be motivated. The finalists for this prestigious award were:

Anette van Rooyen - Outstanding Leadership, Christelle Barkhuizen – Succeeding Against All Odds, Erna Schnautz – Understanding and Embracing the Khanya Vision, Malcolm Seegers – Innovation, Mark Swartz – Consistent Dedicated Service Delivery, Noel Dunne – Setting a Superb Khanya Standard in Project Management and Shahien Pillay – Originality in Forming Partnerships.

The Cobus Bezuidenhout Award was awarded to Denrick Blauw for Technical Leadership Excellence. On accepting the award, Denrick dedicated it to all the Khanya staff and urged them to use it as a motivation to achieving the Khanya vision of world leadership in the use of ICT for curriculum delivery.

Mr Ian Turner, Director of SSAT, concluded the evening’s formal proceedings with the announcement that Denrick, as recipient of the award, will travel to the United Kingdom as a guest of SSAT in January 2007 to visit the largest educational show in the world, BETT. Not only will he be able to experience all the latest technology available for use for curriculum delivery, but he will also be a special guest at the BETT dinner.

Mr Turner, who had met Cobus Bezuidenhout on an initial visit to this country and had initiated this award in his memory, believes that there is little point in looking back and that he, the SSAT and iNet are very privileged to be working with people in Khanya who are looking forward.