A CALL to establish a Tsietsi Mashinini Foundation to keep his legacy alive has been made.
During the renaming on Saturday of the Tsietsi Mashinini Primary School in Meadowlands, Soweto, speakers said the foundation would help pupils to further their education.
Department of Education district director Mnyamezeli Ndevu said: "I am proposing a Tsietsi Mashinini education scholarship and the Western countries who have been siphoning off our wealth must be forced to contribute to it."
The school was formerly known as Moroeroe Primary School.
Ndevu said the name of Mashinini, a student leader of the June 16 Soweto uprising, should be kept burning and not allowed to die.
He also lashed out at struggle icons for not writing about the struggle.
"Are you waiting for Van der Merwe to write a book and tender to the ANC government so that our children can learn about our history?
Why are you not writing seing that you were there?" he asked.
Ndevu saluted the school management for renaming it after Mashinini and said government offices should also be named after struggle icons.
Azapo deputy president Strike Thokoane said they would welcome and support the foundation.
"It is an irony of politics that we do not have something substantial named after Tsietsi," he said.
He said the school had surpassed many, including the government, by naming itself after Mashinini because he was being sidelined.
Mashinini's brother, Dichaba Mashinini, said the family would support an initiative to start the foundation.
"As family we are delighted, not because the school is named after him but because he is getting a fitting honour for his contribution in the country," he said.
He said the family would not interfere in the running of the school but would help when asked.
Some pupils at the school did not know about Mashinini.
Grade 7 pupil Thami Matlaila said that if people wanted to know about Mashinini they should go to the library or visit the school to learn about him.
Parent Mathabo Rangoanana said that she was happy the school was named after a hero.
"I hope our children will grow up and inherit some of his qualities," she said.
Principal Seipati Dhlamini said the school was going to make sure every pupil knows about Mashinini.
Moroeroe was established in 1975 with the help of the Anglo American and De Beers corporations.
The honour comes 34 years after the Soweto student uprising and 20 years after Mashinini's mysterious death while in exile in Conakry, Guinea, West Africa.
Mashinini was a 19-year-old matric pupil at Morris Isaacson High School in Jabavu, Soweto, when he led the uprising.
He fled to Botswana where, with his comrades, he established the South African Youth Revolutionary Council to further the aims of the liberation struggle.
Call to keep Tsietsi's name, memory alive
A CALL to establish a Tsietsi Mashinini Foundation to keep his legacy alive has been made.
During the renaming on Saturday of the Tsietsi Mashinini Primary School in Meadowlands, Soweto, speakers said the foundation would help pupils to further their education.
Department of Education district director Mnyamezeli Ndevu said: "I am proposing a Tsietsi Mashinini education scholarship and the Western countries who have been siphoning off our wealth must be forced to contribute to it."
The school was formerly known as Moroeroe Primary School.
Ndevu said the name of Mashinini, a student leader of the June 16 Soweto uprising, should be kept burning and not allowed to die.
He also lashed out at struggle icons for not writing about the struggle.
"Are you waiting for Van der Merwe to write a book and tender to the ANC government so that our children can learn about our history?
Why are you not writing seing that you were there?" he asked.
Ndevu saluted the school management for renaming it after Mashinini and said government offices should also be named after struggle icons.
Azapo deputy president Strike Thokoane said they would welcome and support the foundation.
"It is an irony of politics that we do not have something substantial named after Tsietsi," he said.
He said the school had surpassed many, including the government, by naming itself after Mashinini because he was being sidelined.
Mashinini's brother, Dichaba Mashinini, said the family would support an initiative to start the foundation.
"As family we are delighted, not because the school is named after him but because he is getting a fitting honour for his contribution in the country," he said.
He said the family would not interfere in the running of the school but would help when asked.
Some pupils at the school did not know about Mashinini.
Grade 7 pupil Thami Matlaila said that if people wanted to know about Mashinini they should go to the library or visit the school to learn about him.
Parent Mathabo Rangoanana said that she was happy the school was named after a hero.
"I hope our children will grow up and inherit some of his qualities," she said.
Principal Seipati Dhlamini said the school was going to make sure every pupil knows about Mashinini.
Moroeroe was established in 1975 with the help of the Anglo American and De Beers corporations.
The honour comes 34 years after the Soweto student uprising and 20 years after Mashinini's mysterious death while in exile in Conakry, Guinea, West Africa.
Mashinini was a 19-year-old matric pupil at Morris Isaacson High School in Jabavu, Soweto, when he led the uprising.
He fled to Botswana where, with his comrades, he established the South African Youth Revolutionary Council to further the aims of the liberation struggle.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos