Chairperson of the Vincent Tshabalala Education Trust, Mr Paul Mashatile

Members of Vincent Tshabalala family who are with us today

Trustees of the Vincent Tshabalala Education Trust

Leaders of Government, Business and Labour

Principals, Teachers, Parents, and Students

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

 

Thank you for inviting me to participate in this crucial fundraising initiative which honours the inspiring legacy of servant leadership exemplified by the late Vincent Tshabalala.

He was respected, admired, and fondly known by his comrades in Alexandra as “Toivo”.

Always simple, humble, and dependable, his MK cadres knew him by his combat name, Mike Mkhari.

His drive, tenacity, and determination must be a constant reminder that we must remain attuned and committed to the day-to-day struggles of all our people.

The Education Trust which bears his name is a fitting tribute to the memory of a principled activist and distinguished youth leader who with his generation, lived by the creed, “each one, teach one.”

As part of Cosas leadership at Minerva High school, he was at the centre of young people’s struggles to delegitimise corporal punishment and root out abuse and corruption at our schools.

He was at the forefront of the students’ struggle to democratise the governance of schools by demanding the scrapping of the prefect system in favour of the SRCs.

Without seeking any material gain for himself or his family, he became a torchbearer in the creation of organs of people’s power - the yard and street committees - which contributed to bringing apartheid to its knees.

Instead of acquiescing to state repression and brutality, his funeral was transformed into an open act of defiance against the regime’s naked cruelty by the community of Alexandra.

The funeral in February 1985 became the first major demonstration of public support for the ANC in Alex in many years.

Having been instrumental in the formation of the Alexandra Youth Congress (Ayco), Ayco embraced the Freedom Charter and mobilised behind the slogan, “Unity, Understanding, Action.”

Born at Bethal, an area that achieved notoriety for the murder of African farm workers who were suspected to have been used as manure in the potato fields, he believed in the vision of the Freedom Charter that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white.

As we heal the wounds of our prejudicial past by prioritising education as our path to an inclusive future, we must again reject a South African identity which discriminates on the grounds of race, ethnicity, class, or gender.

Tshabalala’s conviction that the evil of racial discrimination, the demon of tribalism, and the nightmare of patriarchy would be exorcised in our land must have been reinforced by his interactions with leaders like Carl Niehaus, Beyers Naude, Paul Mashatile, the Rev Moleleki, and Dipuo Mvelase.

As contained in the Freedom Charter, the society that Vincent Tshabalala fought for was one where we must “discover, develop and encourage national talent.”

He believed in a society where “all the cultural treasures of mankind shall be open to all, by free exchange of books, ideas and contact with other lands.”

He aspired for an equal education system which should aim   “to teach the youth to love their people and their culture, to honour human brotherhood, liberty and peace.”

It was the Alexandra Youth Congress of Vincent Tshabalala that boldly asserted, “The Future Belongs to Us!”

Ayco’s former President, Paul Mashatile, stated in the Voice of Ayco that the future plans of the organisation included “workshops, seminars and symposiums, educational trips and full commitment to relevant community projects like  clean up campaigns and organising tuition classes for students.”

The Vincent Tshabalala Education Trust which has been in existence for more than a decade has not only remained true to Ayco’s founding mission, but is actively involved in improving the quality of teaching and learning in Alexandra.

It does not only continue to  participate in cleaning campaigns of schools and streets in Alexandra, but is also directly involved in the fight against hunger and indignity where it supports families headed by children or the aged.

The Trust resonates with the long tradition of self-help and solidarity networks which gave Alexandra such a strong sense of community.

In its short history, the Trust is making an impact in the renewal of this community which remains a special place to its residents.

It has provided bursaries to at least 148 students in critical skills such as derivative trading, chartered accountancy, engineering, law and IT.

The Trust is an excellent illustration of how collectively we can contribute to the urgently required skills revolution required by our country economy.

The Trust is an answer to the NDP’s call for funding assistance covering tuition, books, accommodation and living allowance to needy and deserving students.

The NDP underscores the need to improve the school system, including the improvement in mathematics and literacy outcomes.

The Vincent Tshabala Trust is contributing in this through their Saturday and holiday supplementary classes. These are classes run by graduates who have benefitted from the Trust.

The Trust is also making an important intervention in assisting learners financially who are still at High School.

With our collective commitment and support, the Trust will be in a stronger position, not only to increase the number of learners it currently funds, but also to extend its reach to Primary school learners and those who are left out of the Early Childhood Development phase.

By your presence today and your contribution to this education Trust, you are once more affirming that the future belongs to our young people.

You are saying the best weapon at our disposal to fight the scourges of poverty, unemployment, and inequality is to invest in the education and skilling of our youth.

Your patriotism, generosity, and sense of responsibility reminds us of what Nelson Mandela told the world in 2005.

He said, “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice…while poverty persists, there is no true freedom.”

Madiba added that, “Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.”

I hope that the memory of Vincent Tshabalala and the work that the Trust does will continue to inspire and encourage the youth of Alexandra and our country to take responsibility for their personal progress and development of our country.

Thirty years ago, Vincent Tshabalala’s life was callously cut off at the tender age of twenty while in combat with security forces. 

His sacrifice and loss to our country must compel young people to arm themselves with education and skills which can break the vicious cycle of deprivation, want, and indignity.

As a nation, we are grateful to the Trust for utilising Vincent Tshabalala’s name for such a worthy and noble cause.

In concluding, let us recall Madiba words in Long Walk To Freedom:

Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farmworkers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.

Thank you very much.