What started with the tragic death of UCT student Uyinene Mrwetyana has birthed scholarship opportunities for aspiring academics.The university has chosen its first Uyinene Mrwetyana Scholarship recipient.
Mrwetyana, 19, was raped and murdered by a local post office employee. She had gone to the Claremont Post Office to collect a parcel. Her body was discovered buried in the man’s yard at his home in Khayelitsha.
Her death sparked fury across the country, reviving the movement against gender-based violence. Her parents started a foundation in her honour and UCT established the Uyinene Mrwetyana Scholarship.
Luhlanganiso Majebe, a first-year social science student, majoring in political studies and sociology, said the email notifying her about her selection was an answer to her prayers.
“I feel honoured, humbled and privileged that I have been selected to receive this scholarship. I don’t take this decision lightly, because I am well aware of the responsibility that now rests on my shoulders,” she said.
The Uyinene Mrwetyana Scholarship is an initiative of the Faculty of Humanities set up in partnership with UCT’s Development and Alumni Department. It is created to fund tuition, textbooks, accommodation and health and wellness for the selected humanities student.
Majebe said the scholarship is “extremely important”, for a number of reasons. She said it offered her the opportunity to study towards the degree of her choice in a field that fascinated her; and it provided a platform for her to raise awareness of the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa and to preserve Mrwetyana’s memory.
According to the scholarship agreement, Majebe will need to contribute work towards the foundation.
“I am excited to get started and to give back in my own way.
“My work with The Justice Desk will further cement the solid foundation I aim to set for future Uyinene Mrwetyana Scholarship recipients. I am utterly grateful for this opportunity,” she said.