Former student activists honour Madiba’s legacy
The future is in your hands and education is a weapon with which you can conquer the world.
These were some of the key messages shared with Tafelsig High pupils on Thursday, July 18 when the Mitchell’s Plain Development Action Collective (MPDAC) hosted a special Mandela Day programme to honour the legacy of late President Nelson Mandela.
MPDAC board member Lee Mostert captivated the hearts and minds of pupils when she shared her powerful story as one of the youngest student detainees during Apartheid.
Ms Mostert, who grew up in Tafelsig, joined the anti-Apartheid student movement when she was 13 years old. She was arrested in 1989 at the age of 16 after being on the run from the police for nine months.
“Willie Swartz changed my life,” said Ms Mostert, in reference to Tafelsig High acting principal William Swartz, much to the amusement of pupils. “He prepared me for my time in prison.”
Responding to pupil’s questions, Ms Mostert said when news broke of late President Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, she and other political prisoners who were still in jail, were overjoyed, even though we had never met him.
“Imagine if all of us won the lotto, that’s how we all felt,” she said.
Ms Mostert sang the praises of Mitchell’s Plain struggle veterans Vera Scharneck, Beaty Roberts and Alouise Hoffmann who were present at the event and who had aided her while she was on the run before her arrest in 1989.
MPDAC Convener Neil Cole shared the organisation’s history and told pupils that the organisation’s founders and member were all from Mitchell’s Plain, doing things for Mitchell’s Plain with the people of Mitchell’s Plain.
He encouraged the pupils to emerse themselves in reading so that they can gain knowledge on how to overcome their fears. MPDAC donated several books to the school library.
“We were shocked to find that many of the schools in Mitchell’s Plain do not have libraries. Books tell stories and stories can help us overcome our fears, that’s why we believe that books are so important,” said Mr Cole.
Mr Swartz thanked MPDAC members for adopting the school and making resources available to its pupils.
“I grew up with them and I am very proud of them for ploughing back into our communities. They are not politicians but activists, who are active in the community to solve and change problems in the community,” he said.
He said the event also served as a reminder of the efforts of the youth of the 1980s, and that more awareness programmes of its kind are needed.
“We are lacking awareness programmes in our communities, that is why our education and communities are in this state,” he said.
Mr Swartz urged pupils to take the values they learned during the programme and share it with other Tafelsig High pupils.
Former Portland High pupil and best-selling author, Yusuf Daniels, shared his journey and encouraged pupils to work hard, and be resilient and confident. Mr Daniels, who has a large social media following also encouraged pupils to use social media responsibly.
“Social media, when used for the right reasons, can be one of the most powerful tools in your life,” he said.
The programme concluded with the unveiling of a mural of Nelson Mandela on one of the school walls facing AZ Berman Drive, which was painted by artists Rizah Potgieter, Angelo Waterloo, Sydney Lewis, Thakier Adams from Supporting Mentorship Through Arts (SMART).
The mural project was initiated by Tafelsig community activists Michael and Natasha Bell to replace gang-related graffiti with inspiring murals. The duo partnered with Western Cape Department of Local Government’s Community Development Workers (CDW) programme, which provided the art resources for the mural.
“We want the legacy of Madiba to prevail in the community. Education is power in the community and we want learners to inculcate the notion that you need to complete your schooling and take it seriously. What we picked up at the school is that not all learners are academically good but they have other skills. One of the skills is art,” said Lynn Phillips from CDW Metro 2.
She added that Tafelsig High pupils will also receive art training.
“We are bringing in artists to train the learners to take it further. They will be able to protect this artwork and not allow negative things to be written over it,” she said.