Much-admired principal brought out best in us
A FEW weeks ago, I had the liberty to go back to my old school.
Being back there after so many years brought a feeling of nostalgia.
Little did I know that I would arrive to the news of principal Elbe Malherbe’s retirement, news some may view as a blow to the education system in the Port Elizabeth region.
Principal Malherbe, who was affectionately known as Elbe by her pupils, will always be remembered for her courageous leadership, her firm foundations in Christianity and her love for the black child.
My presence in the building left me reminiscing as memories of my time there came flooding back, but of all the memories the most treasured are the memories of assembly on Fridays.
We as the pupils would sing songs of praise and as soon as we finished, Malherbe would rise up from her seat to go to the front with a Bible in hand and say, “Learners you may be seated”.
Bumps, knocks and screams would follow as the pupils scrambled to find a place to sit on the wooden floor, which was reserved for all pupils apart from the matriculants.
This would be followed by her weekly promise to let the pupils have an off day the day they mastered the art of sitting down in silence.
I am sure to this day pupils are still struggling with sitting down silently.
From the outset we lived by the school’s motto which encouraged us pupils to avoid the soft option, but rather focus on strengthening ourselves for whatever hardship lay ahead.
Malherbe and her staff motivated us to be the best we could be.
They equipped us with the skills required to survive in the outside world rather than focus on academics only and that is how our school, Ethembeni Enrichment Centre, came to be a champion in discipline and results.
Ethembeni has produced doctors, chartered accountants, journalists, teachers, the list goes on, through Malherbe and her team’s immense commitment to uplifting the black child.
It is during her tenure as principal that the school has received the majority of its outstanding performance awards.
Thank you Elbe for ploughing so much effort in teaching us the fundamentals of life.
It is an honour to have been a product of such great hands.
Farewell, you have done your bit. I wish you a peaceful retirement.
Sibulele Mboyi, class of 2009