Reiger Park’s Jack of all trades, Cecil Harold Morden (67), is a retired economist, author, father of three and a former teacher.
Cecil was born in Germiston, Dukathole, and grew up in Reiger Park in the 1960s and 1970s. He now resides in Eveleigh Glades.
He holds a BCom Honours and teacher’s diploma from the University of the Western Cape and a Masters in Economics from the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana, USA.
He started his career as an educator for one year, in 1980, at Oosrand High School. He lectured at the Peninsula Technikon (now the Cape Peninsula University of Technology) from 1981 to 1984.
Subsequently, Morden worked for many years as an economist in both the private and public sectors. He made significant contributions towards reforms of the tax policy regime in South Africa.
He was involved in several community projects in Reiger Park, especially the East Rand Alumni Society.
What motivated him to keep going was his love for economics. Morden said it empowers one to excel in analytic work to understand the world of business and economic policy. It contributes to improving living standards.
He is well known for being a co-author of Reiger Park: Home to Many/’n Tuiste. The book originates in the desire to tell the story of his hometown and family life.
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The book is a joint effort with his wife, Marilyn. More importantly, the book is a joint effort with all the people who feature in the book and who wrote their own stories about growing up on the East Rand.
“It conveys messages of struggle, perseverance, hope and forgiveness. It is a reminder of where we came from and the many sacrifices our forebears had to make and how we have managed to not only survive but to succeed despite the odds stacked against us,” said Morden.
“It is about appreciating the contribution of many dedicated teachers, religious leaders and other community activists. It is about hope for the future,” said Morden.
He hopes to encourage more people to write their own stories and he is willing to assist where he can.
Why Reiger Park? He said it is the township where he grew up, completed his schooling and spent a number of years. Most of his family still reside in Reiger Park.
He gets inspiration from Kevin Ehrenreich and Hein Willemse. He read most of the books of Irving Wallace and says he loves reading biographies.
“People must expect to be inspired by the book. We need to work diligently for a South Africa that we all can embrace and be proud of.”
To all aspiring writers, he had the following message: “Be a doer and lend a hand wherever you can. Strive to do your best, have faith, and do not be discouraged by undue negative criticism. Write your own story and encourage others to do likewise.”
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