Minister gives back to old school
State-of-the-art library for Siloe School for the Blind
Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha yesterday made an emotional return to the school where it all began for him.
He led a team of officials from his department to hand over a state-of-the-art library to the Siloe School for the Blind in Thokgwaneng village near Lebowakgomo in Limpopo.
The R5-million facility, named Advocate Tshililo Michael Masutha Library for the Blind, was built by prisoners from the Polokwane Correctional Centre. It boasts modern technology to enable blind and partially-blind pupils to learn with ease.
The school now has digital magnifiers and new braille translation software that had been installed to help pupils to learn through the use of technology.
Masutha is a former pupil at the school, having started in 1972 and completed his matric in 1984. The school, which was a first for blind African pupils, was established in 1950 by Belgian missionary Augustine Brooke.
Masutha said he wanted to improve the standard of learning and teaching for the disadvantaged pupils.
“With this library donation I hope the lives of pupils at this school will improve for the better,” said Masutha.
He said despite the lack of resources during his time, the school had managed to produce luminaries such as legendary singer Steve Kekana and Joseph Malatji, the first African blind lawyer.
Yesterday Kekana performed on stage for the pupils.
“We used to learn under trees, with no hope of ever getting a proper structure under which to learn,” Masutha said.
“When I came to the school Steve Kekana was a single matriculant in class. And by virtue of his seniority we elected him to represent us to raise our concerns. But he was rewarded with expulsion and Kekana had to write his matric examinations outside of the school premises.”
He said some of his fellow pupils who had protested against Kekana’s expulsion were also dealt with harshly.
“Some of our fellow pupils then fell by the wayside.
“It is against this background that I felt a need to change the living conditions of pupils at this school to ensure that no learning challenges were encountered,” he explained.
For Masutha, the school was like a “parent” that had raised him.
Kekana said he was happy to have returned to his former school. “It was sheer ecstasy to return to my former school. I regard Siloe School as the best alma mater,” he said.
“Without Siloe School I would not be what I am today. Had I not attended school at Siloe I would not have discovered my singing talent and I would not have had any passion for law. So I was seriously feeling happy today,” added Kekana.
“Whatever bad things that happened during my time at the school do not affect the good things that I have achieved.”
About 50 prisoners were involved in the construction of the library.
Speaking on behalf of the prisoners Marks Nyoni, who is serving a 20-year sentence, appealed to the public to welcome them back upon their release.
“This is our way of saying please accept us and give us jobs when we are released,” he said.