Albert honoured for loyal service at St Henry’s

ST Henry’s Marist College awarded Albert Cele, school maintenance supervisor, with a long service award to acknowledge his fifty years of dedication to the college on Thursday, 30 July at a special presentation assembly.

Albert has been in the employ of the school since 1970, and spoke to Berea Mail about how he got the job, all those years ago at the age of 18.

“In those days you would go to Durban to look for a job, but you needed a permit. Sometimes you would get chased back to the farm. I was lucky to have a permit. People looking for work needed to go to a certain place, you couldn’t just walk on the streets looking for work. The first day I had no luck, but on the second day I saw two men wearing long dresses, with a rope around and a collar. One of the men said they were looking for a young man to work at the school. I stood up with my dompas and special permit and they took me straight away,” he said.

Albert went to the school with the men, Brother Paul and Brother William, and said he was very excited when he saw the building.

“It was old but very clean, with shiny, nice classrooms. In those days money was short all over the world and I started with a salary of R3.25 per week,” he said.

Albert was responsible for making tea for the teachers and sometimes for the Brothers. He cleaned and worked in the garden and helped the cook make lunches for the teachers, and served them in the dining room.

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“After two months I told the principal at the time, Brother Brendan, that I was running short of money as I needed to look after my family, my brother and sister. He agreed to pay me R6 a week,” he said.

Albert said he started work at 6am every day and left at 5.30pm.

“I had to make sure my work was done properly! I caught the train to Durban, but after 5pm there was no bus to Berea station, so I would walk, then take the train to KwaMashu, and the bus to my home. I got home at 9.30pm some nights,” he said.

In the 1980s, Brother Brendan and the chairman, Mr Bull, chose him to be the supervisor at the school.”My salary was increased to R15 a week! I worked well with the Brothers, who were happy people and taught me good manners. I learnt a lot over the years and I have seen a lot of change at the school. Principal Dr Tony Akal worked hard to make the school much better,” he said.

He said when he started at the school, there were only 40 learners, and it was a boys-only school.

Girls were only introduced to the school 25 years ago, and Albert witnessed when the first child of colour started at the school.

“This was a big change. It started with one child and then more came. The school has really grown,” he said.

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Albert said when he started at the school he didn’t even have a girlfriend, but he had married in 1975, and had three sons and three daughters.

“I am now a Jack of all trades! I am the supervisor, I drive the bus to take the children home, I supervise the maintenance team, and more! I work nicely with Dr Leech, the principal. I have known him since he was a schoolboy at St Henry’s. I have loved my years at the school and I don’t look forward to when I have to retire! My wife is retired now, but I like to keep busy and keep my brain working,” he said.

Speaking about Albert, Dr Leech said 50 years of loyal service in today’s world is extremely rare and this epitomises his character and unwavering loyalty to the College.

Albert was presented with a special blazer to commemorate the momentous occasion at the presentation assembly on 30 July.

It was also the ideal opportunity to celebrate his recent birthday with a cake and “Happy Birthday” sung to him by all who were there to witness the special moment.

Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting

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At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.

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