By Phakamisa Mayaba
With the National Senior Cerificate (NSC) examinations due to start on 21 October, the Spring School gathering held at Colesberg’s Umso High School last week was a final effort at revision and preparation before the final matric tests. The event was attended by nearly 1 500 learners in the Pixley kaSeme region.
The province has its sights set on reversing last year’s showing where – with a pass rate of 84,2% – it was the worst performing province in the country. To this end, the management team at Umso High School invited Toverview associate Mbulelo Kafi – an Umso old boy, former local councillor, tourism practitioner, and community leader – — to deliver some words of encouragement to the learners.
Mbulelo Kafi in action. Image: Mbulelo Kafi Facebook page.Â
In the event, he delivered a fiery speech around the theme of ‘leaders who forgot the dream’, by way of exhorting learners never to forget their own. Toverview caught up with him later and asked him to explain the idea behind his address, as well as his ideas about education and community development.
Toverview: Could you tell us what inspired the speech you gave to the district’s matric learners this past week?
Kafi: Well, it was the Biblical story about Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king who forgot a dream that had deeply troubled him one morning. Basically, the point I was making is that, here was a king of a great empire – advanced in science, the arts, and pretty much all aspects of industry and commerce. Yet because he had grown complacent, he started to forget to appreciate his blessings, which eventually led to his kingdom experiencing a crisis. So much so that when he dreamed a very important dream one night, he couldn’t recall it when he woke up in the morning.
And despite all efforts by his finest scholars to help him remember it, ultimately it was lost to his careless ways. The overarching message I had for the learners is that they should never take the small things, like their dedicated teachers who show up to teach them every day, or the parents who sacrifice greatly in order to give them a future, for granted. But most importantly, that they should never forget the dreams that they, the learners, have for themselves.
Toverview: As a former Umso learner, what were some of your best take-aways?
Kafi: Coming from a very difficult upbringing marred by substance abuse and deprivation, school was more than just a place of learning. The feeding scheme provided me with a much-needed daily meal. Also, I tried to throw myself into whatever extra-curricula programmes that were offered. If there was a debating society being started, I was there. A choir, a Christian group, even a play – you name it, Kafi wouldn’t shy away from anything.
Toverview: What, according to you, are some of the common problems affecting learners in our small local communities?
Kafi: The first one, which I’ve actually raised with some provincial heads, is the creation of safe Wi-Fi spaces for the community and especially for learners. Over the years, a reliable connection to do one’s homework and research has become almost essential. But data is expensive. And our children are often forced to find connections in places that are not conducive to learning, such as taverns.
Speaking of which … there seems to be an effort by the liquor industry to introduce free Wi-Fi in drinking establishments, which is, in and of itself, not a bad idea.
However, I’ve since approached several people and businesses with a proposal to create at least four Wi-Fi hotspots in the township where community members and schoolgoers can enjoy access in a safe space. Of course, the entire idea is meaningless without buy-in from the education department. As things stand, many of these kids are accessing Wi-Fi at shebeens or outside establishments in town very late at night. This is quite troubling to witness. Access to data, in my opinion, should be elevated to a basic human right.
The other is that our tertiary institutions of learning do not seem to cater for – or at least appear to operate at a distance from — the actual labour problems and needs facing the country. At a seminar I attended in China a few years ago around promotiong rural enterprises, I got to see how meticulous the Chinese are in ensuring that their schools of higher learning are shaped according to the labour market on the ground.
If, as an example, there is a shortage of artisans, universities there try to encourage school leavers to enroll in that area of study. Given our extremely high levels of unemployment, it would be good to colleges training institutions like the TVET college in De Aar following suit.
Toverview: We understand that you have recently been involved in nature conservation, specifically with the Doornkloof Nature Reserve near Colesberg. Could you elaborate?
Kafi: Yes, I have done some liaison work over there. The ranger/conservation/veterinary space has traditionally not had many African players. In fact, for the longest time, Africans did not consider careers in this area. Over the years, this has changed even though the uptake in our smaller towns remains relatively low. Therefore, the goal is to see a transformation in that regard and to inspire youths of colour to consider these as viable areas of participation and employment.
During my time with Doornkloof, I have also successfully pushed for the reserve to supply meat to soup kitchens and elderly homes. Such places contribute significantly to the community, and relying — as they do — on funding, all donations of clothing, money and supplies go a long way.
Toverview: You were recently employed by a tourism company in the Western Cape. But you’re now back in Colesberg. Is there a reason for that, and would you tell us a bit more about the draadkar event you say you were once part of in Victoria West?
Kafi: Yes, I was fortunate to do some work in the Western Cape, but now there is something else in the pipeline. Although I cannot divulge the details, it’s in line with one of my greatest passions, namely tourism. The draadkar event I hope to some day write about myself.
Toverview: Fair enough. In Colesberg, you are also known as a deeply spiritual person. Do you have a few words of wisdom for our readers?
Kafi: Yes, it’s actually a quote from one of my favourite writers, Ellen G White. It goes: ‘The greatest want of the world is the want of men – men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.’
Featured image: Umso High School in Colesberg. (Umso High Facebook Page)