Thembalihle Primary School in Orlando East held a memorial service for their late teacher Busisiwe Malinga last Thursday.
Malinga suffered a stroke on January 5, was admitted to hospital and died January 10.
The pupils and staff of Thembalihle could not contain their tears.
She was described as a loving, caring and very humble person.
“Our school will never be the same again, she will be missed for her hard working character she was not just a teacher but also as a friend, sister mother and friend.
” Whenever we needed her she was there if we needed someone to assist in cooking for school functions she would always be the helping hand,” said colleague Khangezile Sangweni.
Malinga was also described as a teacher who always put her pupils first, always took on the challenge of making sure that all her pupils are the best.
“She was a very creative person she loved art and her class would always be full of art materials.
“We would get into her class and not understand what she was going to do with the materials but surely enough something beautiful would be created from those materials,” said Sangweni.
As part of the farewell ceremony the principal of Thembalihle, Nomasonto Luvuno, led a role play were she called out all the teachers’ names one by one and each teacher responded by saying present.
The last name which was called out the deceased’s name and all the teachers responded by saying absent.
Luvuno then said her final farewell to one of her most hard working teachers.
Happiness Mbense, a pupil that was taught by Miss Malinga, said that she will never forget her loving teacher.
“I am going to miss her she was the best teacher, she loved and was kind and I could talk to her whenever I wanted to,” she said.
Mike Nyoni, the brother of the deceased, said thanked all for the touching memorial service that the school organised.
“I know that my sister was loved and all that was said about her was true – she was truly a loving and kind person,” he said.