Diversity the founding

MBABANE-“Diversity has always been at the heart of the founding principal of Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa, Michael Stern.”

This was disclosed by Ramila Patel yesterday during the celebration of the 60 years since the school was founded in Eswatini.

Patel was taking the audience through memory lane and all the steps that were taken in establishing the school during the annual Michael Stern Lecture. She spent years with the college as Head of Visual Arts at Waterford.

She disclosed that the school started operating on February 3, 1963, and 16 boys were the first students of the school. Meanwhile, Patel said the class was mixed as seven pupils were white, six were black, two were coloureds and one was Indian.

APARTHEID

Patel said the school was established in 1963 against a backdrop of, and as a direct counter to the apartheid era in neighbouring South Africa (SA).

She further revealed that the logo of the school the Phoenix was drawn by Pedro Guedes

She further disclosed that the school was also visited by His Majesty King Sobhuza II, who blessed it with a Siswati name Kamhlaba.

Patel was part of lecture series that will focus on the people, methods, events and achievements which have made Waterford into the successful school it is today.

Patel formerly taught in Botswana and has been with Waterford College for 33 years. It was also revealed that she was, a Waterford network coordinator for 11 years, producing ‘Tindzaba TaKamhlaba’, the alumni newsletter.

She has a wealth of local histor