When Franz Müller turned 80 in 2013, his children gave him the gift of education – not for himself, but in the form of a bursary in his name. Six years later, at Stellenbosch University’s (SU) April 2019 graduation ceremony, Franz had the pleasure to experience how this gift has changed the life of Raymond Botete, the first recipient of the Franz and Waltraud Müller bursary.

Franz and his wife have been spending winters in Somerset West in the Western Cape for the past 20 years. “We feel very connected to South Africa, particularly the Cape region, and we are convinced that the country has a great future. We always wanted to give something back to this beautiful country and its people.”

Knowing this, Franz’s daughter Regula Müller Hönger, and her siblings, Felix and Marc, decided to establish the Franz and Waltraud Müller bursary to give their father “something that would last longer and have more of an impact than the usual presents”. Regula says, “My father has always been very generous in supporting people, so we felt this would be the ideal gift. Stellenbosch is a well-known university and was thus an obvious choice.”

And Franz was delighted. “I felt overcome with joy. I was very pleased that the kids thought of such a wonderful gift. That they believed in a good cause and thought about giving a gift that would – in my name – do something good for somebody.”

Grateful

For the past seven years, that somebody has been Raymond Botete. Originally from Limpopo province, Raymond matriculated from Makgofe High School in 2009. After school Raymond enrolled for BSc Geology for one year at the University of Limpopo, then took a gap year before coming to SU in 2012 to study Mechanical Engineering.

Raymond comes from a disadvantaged background. His mother was unemployed and his family struggled to make ends meet. “The bursary was a huge relief to me financially, and for that I am very grateful for the support that Franz and Waltraud Müller have given me.”

Raymond, who is currently a Junior Lecturer at SU, graduated with his Engineering degree in 2016 and enrolled for a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, doing research on composite manufacturing. Throughout his studies the Müller family has taken a keen interest in Raymond and his progress.

“We are all very glad that we could contribute to Raymond’s education and are very proud of his success – after all, it was he who had to do all the work,” says Regula. “My siblings and I had the chance to meet him in person during our visits to South Africa and enjoyed getting to know him very much. We are glad that our gift made a difference in his life and the life of his family.”

Ambitious

Franz echoes this sentiment: “I am very proud of his achievements. Raymond is ambitious and determined. He put a lot of effort into his studies. We have a very personal relationship with him and I see with great satisfaction that the children’s gift has made such a positive impact on his life.”

But Raymond is not done studying just yet and is currently working towards a PhD. He says, “Despite pressure from my family to find a job, the bursary is giving me the opportunity to study further while I consider my career options.

I always wanted to become a professor and I therefore chose the academic stream so that I can also help other students reach their dreams.”