Congratulations to Sinelethu Hashibi who has received the 2019 South African Council for Natural Science Professions (SACNASCP) award for her Honours Thesis with the title:

“A comparison of kimberlite indicator minerals and their geochemistry from two kimberlites of widely varying diamond grade from the Barkly West region, Northern Cape, South Africa”

Her research project was conducted under the supervision of A/Prof Phil Janney. This award is conferred by the Geological Society of South Africa (GSSA).  

Hashibi hails from a small village called Dadamba in Willowvale, Eastern Cape. Pursuing a career in Geology was a done deal by Grade 10 and the seed was planted by her love for Geography and Geomorphology.

Often times the work of a scientist is carried out in isolation, in our little bubbles only to emerge when there are events and travels. When asked how this award makes her feel, her response was “I feel recognized, the world sees my work”. Hashibi knew her work was good, since it was the result of a huge effort, but she was taken by surprise by the award.

Hashibi is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Geology, and continues her research on Kimberlite Indicator Minerals (KIMs). “The bar has certainly been set higher for my MSc” says Hashibi.