How madiba help to build GoodHope Primary school
Former president Nelson Mandela has been a blessing to South Africa, Africa and to the rest of the world
POLOKWANE – “Former president Nelson Mandela has been a blessing to South Africa, Africa and to the rest of the world,” said William Swartz, former principal of Westenburg Secondary School.
According to Swartz, Madiba will never be forgotten because he has made an impact on peoples lives.
“There are not enough words to describe this remarkable man. Those who had the opportunity to meet him would agree with me that it was a blessing to shake hands with such a great man.”
On July 26, 1999 Madiba visited Westenburg Secondary School, where he announced plans to build Good Hope Primary School. Swartz had the honour of meeting Mandela at this function.
Swartz told Review how Madiba noticed that not all races were represented in the Westenburg Secondary School’s choir. “Mandela, being the good observer that he is, noticed that the choir did not equally represent all the races of all the learners at the school and he expected leadership of the school to address this imbalance,” said Swartz.
Madiba and Liberty Life joined forces to build a primary school inWestenburg after Ben Harris, local businessman, requested a school be built for the community.
According to Harris, he and Madiba had an agreement that if Madiba built the school, he (Harris) would accept the appointment of ANC member in the legislature. Harris was appointed as member of legislature on March 1, 1999. According to Swartz, Madiba promoted his vision of a rainbow nation in the new South Africa in Westenburg that day.
“Tata Madiba will always be remembered for his fight for freedom, equality and equal education for all. He is a man of honour, a man who stood his ground. He was part of the solution and not the problem.
“He was not just a father and grandfather to his own descendants, but to the world,” Swartz said.
