KZN gives rural school ICT tools in honour of Mandela

Langalakhe High School in Elandskop, KwaZulu-Natal, will get new ICT equipment, as part of the provincial government’s 67 Minutes of action in honour of Mandela Day.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala made the announcement during the launch of the Mandela Foundation’s Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) Sanitisation in Schools Programme, held at the school on Thursday.

Launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018, SAFE is a public-private partnership that aims to provide safe and innovative ablution facilities at nearly 4 000 mostly rural and township schools.

The SAFE initiative is a partnership between government, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the National Education Collaboration Trust, and to which the private sector has been invited to contribute.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation, through its Mandela Day SAFE Sanitisation in Schools Programme and in partnership with Engen Oil, has donated a safe sanitisation structure to Langalakhe High School to bring dignity to teachers and learners.

Announcing the roll out of ICT tools during the launch, Zikalala said the ICT Maths and Science Programme is aimed at benefiting rural schools in the province, which do not have adequate resources.

Zikalala encouraged leaders to follow in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela, who valued education as the most potent weapon.

“Former President Nelson Mandela prioritised education [and] always emphasised that it’s only through education that a child of peasants will become a president. That’s why it’s important that we promote quality education for our leaders in rural and township schools, so that we can build the potential for our learners to be prosperous,” Zikalala said.

The Premier thanked the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Engen Oil for donating the safe sanitisation structure to the school.

“This is a great project. It’s important to provide proper hygiene facilities. Sanitation is important because we must maintain the dignity of our learners and teachers. This will go a long way in alleviating the plight of this school,” he said.

He further conveyed condolences to the Mandela family on the passing of Zindzi Mandela, the youngest daughter of Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

Nelson Mandela Foundation CEO, Sello Hatang, said: “We’re honoured to be here at this school because for us, this has been a long journey, a journey that started when President Cyril Ramaphosa called on all of us to try and restore the dignity of our people.”