A former Realogile High School learner who had a pleasant encounter with Essop Pahad as Minister in the Presidency of ex-President Thabo Mbeki’s cabinet in 2005 has heaped praises on the late ‘adopted’ son of Alexandra.
Born in Schweizer-Reneke on June 21, 1939, Pahad is believed to have adopted Alexandra as his second home and each time the township was mentioned or someone indicated his origins in Alexandra, the adopted son will quickly rise and embrace that person and share that he is also a son of the soil in Alexandra.
The same happened to Sonia Mulaudzi, then a Grade 11 learner and a keen school debater who had gone to Cape Town to represent Gauteng in a debate competition in 2005 and was pronounced the winner from Alexandra and called to the podium, Pahad rose from his chair and went to embrace the shy young girl and declared her ‘my home girl’ and told those who cared to listen that he was ‘born in Alexandra’ and was proud of his ‘home girl’.
“He hugged me and told everybody he was born in Alexandra and that he was so proud to have a person from his ‘township of birth’ being recognised and bestowed with an award, considering the conditions from which I come,” said Sonia, now married and has a double-barrelled surname of Mulaudzi-Poopedi.
Mulaudzi-Poopedi, who went on to obtain a teaching degree but now works for the Health Department of the City of Johannesburg, said she has never forgotten that momentous encounter with Pahad.
“It will be forever etched in my heart and memory. When I heard the news that he had passed away, I was so saddened but accepted that God had called him to his kingdom and there was nothing I could do but live with it,” said one of the bright sparks of yesteryears at Realogile.
Alex historian Thabo Mopasi also had a similar encounter when Pahad came to Alex to open the Thusong Multipurpose Centre on 8th Avenue in 2004, he told all and sundry at the ceremony that he was born in Alexandra but without specifying the location within the township.
“I wish his soul could rest in peace and when we finally find it in our hearts to clean our township and make it a better place for all of us, I am sure he will be the most delighted person,” Mopasi said.
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