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The Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga has thanked the South Africans at large for their contributions to education as the nation commemorated the Centenary of former President Nelson Mandela on Wednesday 18 July 2018.

The Department is humbled by the many corporates, NGO’s, sister Government Departments and individual South Africans that commemorated International Mandela Day by giving not only of their time but resources to benefiting schools across the country.

The Department is grateful for the contributions that include science laboratories, shoes given to learners, unveiling of new buildings, the massive clean-up activities, painting and renovation of classrooms and other forms of gifts aimed at creating a conducive environment for learning and teaching. The Minister has urged the recipients of all the contributions to continue to take good care of it for the benefit of the future users.

Both the Minister and Deputy Minister marked Mandela Day with visits to schools in Bertrams, Tembisa as well as Lenasia. 18 July 2018 also marked the centenary of the Bertrams’ Junior School in Johannesburg where Minister Motshekga joined MP Joanmarie Fubbs, alumni and learners in marking both centenaries.‘’ We are grateful to the O. R. Tambo International Airport for the provision of the school library to ensure that the learners and teachers of Gahlanso Primary School have access to reading and information resources’’ Minister Motshekga said Speaking at the handover of a container library donated by OR. Tambo International Airport.

It is undoubted that indeed as Nelson Mandela said ‘’Education is the engine of Development’’, as such it is pertinent that South Africans have shown their faith in the next generation by giving of their time to help improve the lives of learners through their generous donations. ‘’ South Africans have once again shown their collective spirit by backing the future of the nations youngest citizens and their schools, as a Department we are humbled by the generous contributions made to schools which have been a major beneficiary of Mandela Day generosity, thank you,’’ said Motshekga

Issued by Department of Basic Education