Healdtown school celebrates 160 years
CELEBRATED for educating Nelson Mandela and other prominent Eastern Cape leaders, Healdtown Comprehensive School in the tiny hamlet of Healdtown, near Fort Beaufort, is celebrating its 160th anniversary today.
Situated 10km from Fort Beaufort, Healdtown itself, which falls under the Nkonkobe Municipality in the Amathole District in an area that was a part of the former Ciskei, was established in 1853 by the Reverend John Ayliff.
He named the town – which was originally a mission station – after the treasurer of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society, James Heald, who had contributed towards a training institution for teachers there.
The Healdtown Comprehensive School, known simply as Healdtown until 1994, was established in the town in 1855. Among its famous past pupils are Nelson Mandela, who matriculated there, Pan African Congress (PAC) founder Robert Sobukwe, ANC leader Ray- mond Mhlaba and prominent PAC member Jonathan Mehlo Rayo.
Mzimgifi Douw, who has been principal of the school for three years, said both the school and its surrounding community were relishing the school’s significant an- niversary and that celebrations, which started yesterday, would continue through the weekend.
“We are really enjoying celebrating this major milestone. This school is certainly one of the oldest schools in the province and one which has produced some great leaders.”
Douw said the celebrations would be around a range of sports activities at the school and that today would see the institution celebrating a “Founders Day”.
“Part of the celebrations will also include a reunion for all former pupils of the school. In addition, one of the buildings here, which was renovated by the Goldfields company, will be renamed the Robert Sobukwe Building this weekend,” he said. A number of dignitaries, including Department of Education officials, had been invited to the celebrations.