Al-Qalam 
By Dr Mustafa Mheta
The Somali ambassador to South Africa, Mohamed Ali Mire, has urged Somalis living in South Africa to integrate with the local South African community and live in peace.
The ambassador was speaking at an annual Matric Farewell Function held at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Somalia. It is meant to encourage Somali students who complete Matric to go to Universities and pursue degrees in different fields of their choices.
Ambassador Mire encouraged Somali nationals living in South Africa to try and learn the local languages and cultures besides their own as a way of promoting social cohesion between the two people.
Learning languages, is also a survival mechanism skill on an individual level. Ambassador Mire pointed out that Somalia and South Africa enjoys excellent relations on a government to government level which should also translate between the two people on the ground. He echoed his government’s gratitude to the South African government for standing with Somalia in times of difficulties.
The ambassador also extended his exhortation to the entire Somali community in South Africa and urged them to be responsible and good citizens who should positively contribute to the social and economic wellbeing of South Africa. He encouraged them to live side by side in peace with their brotherly South Africans and promote understanding between them.
He advised the Somali Matric class of 2020 to take advantage of the prevailing peace in South Africa to educate themselves and become better citizens and contribute to the well-being of South Africa as well as that of Somalia.
He encouraged them to choose degrees which relate to what they really want in their hearts. He reminded parents that gone are the days when parents would choose careers for their children. It is better if children were left to choose their career paths as that would reflect what they want for themselves. He also urged them to stay away from alcohol and drugs as these contribute to many failures in their lives. He encouraged them to respect their parents as without their blessings, there can be no success in their lives.
Government
The Ambassador also took time to thank the University of South Africa Library (UNISA) for donating more than 30000 books to the Somali National University and towards the setting up of the Somali National Library. He also thanked the government and people of South Africa for this noble gesture which he said, the people of Somalia will never forget.
He pointed out that this donation in the form of (books), is greater than billions of dollars in value. The contribution of South Africa to education in Somalia, is immense and cannot be valued in monetary terms.
There are several Somali students studying in South African Universities like Vaal University of Technology (VUT) on a University to University level agreements.
Prof Selemetsela from the University of South Africa (UNISA) Libraries who worked on the donation of books and the subsequent shipping of the books to Somalia, advised the Matric Class of 2020 that education is like a building process, they the students are the bricks in the process of nation building. She urged the girl child specifically to choose careers that they want and not allow anybody to do it for them. They should be masters of their own destiny as the choices they make today, will impact on their future in a big way.
*Dr Mustafa Mheta is a Senior Researcher/Head of Africa Desk, Media Review Network in Johannesburg.
