Kabelo Tlhabanelo
When he was offered the chance to study medicine, Maitse Mosikili said no, thank you.
Maitse, 20, from Qwa-Qwa, Free State always wanted to be a pilot, and he was grateful when the Free State Premier’s office offered him a bursary.
But Maitse’s plan looks as if it will crash because the premier’s office has stopped paying his fees, and they blame Covid-19 for that.
His mum, Kate Molefe, said she was shocked when the aviation school phoned her to say her son’s fees were due because the payments have stopped.
Maitse said he needed an extra R62,000 to finish the course that will see him getting a private pilot’s licence and a further R400,000 to pay for a licence to fly commercially.
“If the government doesn’t pay as they promised, I’m doomed,” he said.
He said his school, Westline Aviation, has sent emails to the premier’s office making them aware of the outstanding funds.
“If I don’t get funds in time my studies will be put on hold. That means I must start all over again,” he said.
His mother said she has even been to mashonisas but she can’t get that kind of cash.
“My son has always wanted to be a pilot. A university said he could come to study medicine because of his good marks, but he refused – to follow his dreams,” she told Scrolla.Africa.
Free State education spokesman Jabulane Kumalo said the payments to the aviation school stopped because of the repeated closures of offices last year.
The offices were shut after Covid-19 cases were detected among staff members in multiple instances.
