Parkhurst Primary School gave tribute to struggle icon, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela on 13 April.
The schoolchildren honoured Madikizela-Mandela at their assembly, where they sang touching songs, including theSouth African national anthem.The head boy, Lovemore Machengedzera and head girl, Palesa Makholosa also recited struggle poems, which went along with the theme of the memorial event.
Nosisi Dlambulo, an Afrikaans teacher, made an emotive speech where she told the young ones the political, educational and family history of the anti-apartheid stalwart.
The school’s principal, Sanjeev Maharaj said that whenever there is a well-known fallen hero, they always pay tribute, so the children can learn about our country’s history and what the heroes stood and fought for.
“We’ve had so many of our leaders and important people who’ve passed away and we celebrate them with such memorials. Most of the learners don’t know what role they’ve played in our history,” said Maharaj.
The memorial service will be followed by another programme in their classes during lessons. There will be a reading session and a comprehension exercise based on the life and times of Madikizela-Mandela.
“The fact that we can study and be taught in a multi-racial school together would not have been possible if there weren’t people like her. We need to teach the children about how her actions have impacted our lives personally,” he said.
Hopewell Phoofolo, who is a learner at the school said she has learnt a lot from the tribute session and that it was her time to get to know the former first-lady better.
“I learned that the former and late president Nelson Mandela wasn’t the only one who fought against apartheid. Mama Winnie also had an impactful hand in freeing us from apartheid,” she said.
Madikizela-Mandela was laid to rest on 14 April, after passing on at Milpark Hospital on 2 April, leaving most of the country wondering who will fill her shoes.
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