By Puisano News Reporter
There is a Doctor in the house at Ngwathe Local Municipality. And that is Dr Mokete Phele, the Water Services Manager at this municipality. He has just graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Chemistry at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT).
The title of Dr Phele’s doctoral thesis is “Utilising Magnetic Moringa Oleifera Pops-Feldspar Clay Composites for Selected Pollutant Removal from Water.”
Ngwathe Local Municipality was full of praise for Dr Phele on this milestone of the highest academic achievement. Congratulating him, the municipality said,”Your dedication and hard work have truly paid off. Wishing you continued success as you reach greater heights in your journey of learning and growth. Well done.”
Dr Phele joins the ranks of another PhD graduate in the same municipality, Dr Futhuli Mothamaha, who is the Municipal Manager. Ngwathe Local Municipality now boasts two great academics in its own staff establishment.
According to VUT Dr Phele ‘s thesis may sound technical, but at its core lies a simple mission: to give communities safe, affordable, and sustainable water.
“By combining the natural purifying qualities of the moringa plant with the adsorption power of feldspar clay, and enhancing it with magnetic nanoparticles, his research makes it possible to trap dangerous pollutants such as antibiotics and heavy metals and then remove them effortlessly with a magnet.
“This breakthrough is more than science. It is hope packaged in innovation. It is a tool for rural and under-resourced communities where clean water is still a daily struggle,” stated VUT on its website.
