Address by the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, MP, at the Memorial Service of the Late NATU President, held in Newcastle’s Farm Hall
In memoriam NATU President: Mr. Skhumbuzo Allen Thompson NATU General Secretary: C.S. Barnes
NATU’s Vice Presidents: Mrs B.Z. Mbatha, Mr R.N Ngcobo and Mr
S.V. Malinga, and Mr G.M Mabuza Leadership Collective of NATU and Members Fraternal organisations present
Fellow South Africans
Let me take this opportunity to thank the leadership of the National Teachers’ Union (NATU) for organising such an auspicious occasion to honour the memory of its late President: Mr Skhumbuzo Allen Thompson.
Programme Director, I am deeply humbled by this honour to speak at this memorial service, yet the death of Allen is still surreal.
He was a great man, a patriot.
It is no coincidence that Allen's memorial service occurs today, 32 years to the day former President Nelson Mandela walked out of Victor Verster Prison a free man after 27 years of incarceration.
As they say, the rest is, of course, history; Mandela led us to the dawn of democracy in 1994 and put us on a path of transformation, economic growth, peace and reconciliation.
Today, South Africa is a better country than the pre-1994 fragmented homeland.
Therefore, today we should raise our voices to pay tribute to Mandela and his generation of finest revolutionaries and freedom fighters.
As former US President Barack Obama once said, Mandela was the greatest liberator of the 20th century.
We have gathered here today not to mourn but celebrate a life well lived in the service of humanity.
Allen's Memorial Service gives us the opportunity as a nation to reflect on his contributions to the national cause of improving basic education.
It is an opportunity to thank Allen for his warmth, the strength of character and wisdom.
Due to my lengthy stay in the sector, Allen was no longer just a teacher or union president but a friend and dependable ally.
As a formidable teacher and foremost unionist, he impacted many lives through his work.
We pass our gratitude to his family for lending us their most delicate son, who served with honour and integrity.
In Allen, we had a scholar and a patriot who served his country and teachers belonging to NATU in the particular and basic education sector in general with distinction.
Allen was the most outstanding teacher and exceptional unionist of his generation.
Although he died in his prime, he had already given of himself to serve his country.
We have been robbed of a life yet to flower and blossom. He still had a lot to contribute.
We had a rising star destined for nothing else but greatness in him.
Nevertheless, he wasn't the longest-serving office bearer of NATU for nothing because he emptied himself for the well-being of teachers.
He touched some people in their studios resulting in him surviving an assassination attempt on life.
Allen was a fearless leader who made a considerable contribution to the sector.
Despite this setback (assassination attempt), he never held back on his views.
He was affable but forthright.
Through him, we observed the most remarkable trait of leadership, humility.
Allen was sometimes impatient with the pace of basic education reforms we undertook.
He criticised our service delivery record in basic education because he wanted more for the children of South Africa.
He spoke on behalf of the marginalised to extract a better bargain for them, not himself.
What he hated the most was the snail pace implementation of the education reforms.
He hated policy uncertainty and was offended by maladministration, malfeasance, and corruption.
His criticism of the sector came from a good place, a place of love for public schooling and its virtues.
He always meant well.
When I addressed the NATU Teachers’ Day Celebration in 2020, I pointed out that the teacher union movement is among the most critical partners in the basic education sector.
I emphasised that teacher unions such as NATU are the glue that holds the centre together.
I didn’t exalt the virtues of Allen at the time while he was still alive. I missed the opportunity.
I should have added that the leadership of people like Allen keeps the sector chugging along nicely.
It was my swansong to Allen as he was there on stage with me.
Thus, the 2021 World Teachers’ event held in Newcastle will remain forever etched in my mind.
At least, I did say that our sector could have faced implosion without the strong leadership exhibited by the NATU leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic.
We need to recognise our heroes while still walking amongst us but hiding in plain sight.
We must redouble our efforts and re-energise the basic education sector post-Covid-19 disruptions in honour of Allen.
We must accelerate basic education reforms and implement urgent resolutions emanating from the recent Basic Education Sector Lekgotla and other fora.
We must remain steadfast in our belief that the basic education sector holds the key to a Better Life for all, better-earning potential, better health outcomes and faster economic growth.
We must harness our relationship with organised labour in the teaching profession to recognise that they are indispensable to the nation.
We must acknowledge the undying commitment of Allen and his NATU aligned teachers to the national cause of educating our learners, often under an unfavourable environment.
It is heartening to witness that even during these uncertain times of Covid-19 and the void left by Allen, NATU aligned teachers continue to hold the line.
In doing so, they remain convinced that their sacrifice and actions are in the service of the nation, not for personal gain or fortune.
In our collective efforts to set the country on a new path of growth, employment and transformation, we need a vibrant basic education sector led by men such as Allen.
In his memory, we must work harder to realise the ideal of a much improved basic education with better learning outcomes and solid care and support for vulnerable learners.
As we have come to know, the path to faster economic growth begins with our learners having access to the best early learning foundations.
As we relaunch the Early Childhood Development Centre (ECD) in April, we need the organised teacher unions to partner with us in this national endeavour.
I implore you to help us improve ECD practitioners' qualifications professionalisation and support our new robust ECD administration in our quest to cement early learning foundations.
We need a battalion of men such as Allen and women of stature to usher in a new epoch of professionalism and dedication in the early learning sector.
We need to move with the requisite speed to introduce our learners to the rigours of the skills of the future, of which our NATU aligned teachers are to play a significant role.
I have often said that teachers are critical agents of change and will remain a guiding light for the nation in its quest for much-improved quality of public schooling.
It is empirically proven that countries that invest and value the profession of teaching in particular and public schooling, in general, have a greater chance to unlock economic bottlenecks in the whole economic value chain.
Our Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan recognises that to support a rapid economic rebound, we need to accelerate reforms in basic education, such as migrating to digital skills and deploying ICTs for learning and teaching.
We thank Allen and this cohort of teachers for unrelenting efforts and sacrifices to better the lives of our learners.
We acknowledge your dedication and selfless service to the betterment of society through deepening the foundations of our democracy through teaching the value of freedom, liberty and peace.
As the nation emerges from the Covid-19 nightmare, we look up to teachers to lead the recovery efforts in our sector.
The extent of the basic education recovery amid the Covid-19 crises can never exceed its teachers’ commitment and innovative strategies.
We want to re-emphasise that as a Government, we are committed to the continuous professional development of our teachers to equip them to face an uncertain future head-on.
Programme director, there’s one more important thing to do to honour Allen’s memory: we have to choose life.
I urge all teachers who received the J&J Covid-19 vaccine to get the booster shot immediately.
As a sector, we can ill afford to lose our teachers, the frontline soldiers in the war against the poverty of the mind to what is now a preventable disease.
We need our teachers healthy and fit to accelerate basic education reforms and recovery.
Finally, I urge all of you to continue to adhere to the health and safety Covid-19 protocols, including vaccination to prevent and manage the spread of the deadly virus.
We must never forget that our Allen was taken from us by this deadly virus.
Therefore, let's do everything humanly possible to prevent more deaths, hospitalisation and infections.
May the talented, gentle soul of Allen continue to rest in POWER! I thank you.
