Neville Kapoko Mathopa was a Civil Engineering graduate of Shandong Jianzhu University in China and a Thaba Nchu native who was back in South Africa following his graduation in June 2019. In the statement, Premier Sisi Ntombela reveals Mathopa had obtained 30 distinctions throughout his time at the Architecture and Engineering Institution, a feat she hopes will inspire the more than 100 students still continuing with their studies at various institutions in China.

While Mathopa is hailed as a beacon of light for the Free State government’s bursary programme with Chinese institutions, several reports over the years have indicated that this programme and other government programmes like it are not the resounding success they have been made out to be.

Reports of a student committing suicide in Cuba to City Press’ https://city-press.news24.com/News/students-funded-by-free-state-government-stuck-in-china-20190904 report in late 2019 revealed Civil Engineering students at Dalian University of Science and Technology alleged they were being deliberately held back by a lecturer at the institution who was “failing all the international students” in his/her subject without reason. At the time, the disgruntled students were pleading for government intervention in the matter.

OFM News