Promise made and promise kept
The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance, Ms Belinda Scott donates 15 computers to Himmelberg Intermediate School at Umzinto.
MEC Scott visited this deep rural farm school late last year with MEC for Education Ms Peggy Nkonyeni under Operation Sukuma Sakhe initiatives, and made a promise to donate computers for the school after some impoverished learners appealed to her for computers as some of them even mentioned that they have never seen or touched it before.
So touched by these young souls MEC Scott decided to find computers for them from her department, some used but still in good condition computers were then donated to the school.
The handover ceremony which was marked by cheerfulness, music, dance, and positive messages, was attended by Head of Treasury, Mr Simiso Magagula, Education senior officials, local church where the school is situated, neighbouring schools, members of the community, principal of the school along with many other officials and learners.
Speaking at the handover ceremony Magagula who was representing MEC Scott who could not attend due to unforeseen circumstances, said that, “The aim of this donation is to enable these young learners to keep up with technology and learn the skills to enable them to be computer literate. At this day and age it is really difficult to survive without computer literacy. It is significant towards almost all the careers”.
A Grade 9 learner, Sanele Hlongwa, who was part of the learners who appealed to MEC Scott for this donation was almost in tears and said that, “We are very delighted for this donation; it will go a long way in helping us when doing our school projects and home works as we can now do research on internet and learn some computer basics at a very young age. We are grateful to Provincial Treasury and MEC Scott for heeding to our call”.
The School Governing Body Chairperson, Ms Zifikile Ngidi, spoke on behalf of the parents and the community and promised that, the community will look after the computers and the school as they always do. “When this promise was made we thought that MEC Scott was just playing politics. But we are astonished by her quick response and honesty. There has always been an outcry from our children who were leaving the area to tertiary in the cities and having to touch the computer for the first time at tertiary. This has always been a setback for our children. But now they can be confident as they will graduate their matric with some computer skills”.
“We will come up with a strategy to also involve the community so that they can also benefit from this computer lab which was donated to the school. This gesture is very motivating to the whole staff and learners. We will look after it and cherish it”, said the School Principal Bantubonke Gumede.
Education representative, Ms Zonke Mthuli spoke strongly to the community members to look after this exceptional gift from Treasury and to ensure that thieves do not still the future of their children.
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