Eddie Mtsweni

Scores of mourners gathered on Thursday at Tshepisa Primary School in Tembisa, Ekurhuleni, for a public memorial service for Nomvuyo Violet Ntsali, respected ANC activist and Deputy Board Chairperson of the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance (MGSLG).

The memorial comes ahead of a funeral service to be held on Saturday in Tembisa, where Ntsali is revered for her role in the liberation struggle.

Mourners, many clad in the green, black and gold colours of the governing African National Congress (ANC), danced and sang freedom songs to pay their last respect to Mam Vi, as Ntsali was affectionately known.

Ntsali died last Thursday morning at her home, following a short illness. She had been hospitalised before but discharged in September.

“Comrade Mam Vi was the mother to everyone…she was an organiser,” said a provincial ANC Women’s League leader during the memorial service.

The Women’s League leader urged ANC rank and file members to rally society to put the party back into power during the 2024 general elections in honour of Mam Vi.

“We are going to the elections next year. We need to organise ourselves and the community behind the banner of the African National Congress towards victory. Ours is to celebrate the life of Mam Vi by going out there and fight because Mam Vi believed in the ANC. She would go out of her way to do door to door for the ANC even under scorching hot temperatures.”

ANC regional leader in Ekurhuleni Jongisizwe Dlabathi said the party received the news about Ntsali’s demise with great disappointment.

“We did not think death will suddenly take one of our beloved cadres and a mother that we all loved. But her departure reminded all of us that the ultimate journey is indeed death.

“That is why we must live life purposefully because no one knows this thing called the after-life. Mam Vi’s death is a sad moment for the movement. We are heartbroken as the ANC because we still wanted more from her. She was a loyal member of the ANC,” said Dlabathi.

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said Ntsali’s death was a huge loss to the education sector.

“We wish to convey our sincerest condolences to her family, colleagues and friends. Ms Ntsali has been a dedicated and selfless leader. We will dearly miss her valuable contribution to the sector, may her soul rest in peace,” Chiloane said.

Department of Education Spokesperson Steve Mabona earlier said Ntsali showed commitment to improving education as she carried on with her duties, despite her ill-health, until her untimely death.

The department said that through the leadership, dedication and support of the Ntsali, MGSLG succeeded in providing training on governance to members of School Governing Bodies (SGBs) across the province, funding the studies of prospective Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners, helping them obtain their qualifications, and ultimately spearheading research which necessitated urgent interventions on advancing school safety.

In addition, the department said that MGSLG had consistently worked alongside the Gauteng Department of Education, playing a pivotal role in shaping the standard and inclusivity of education in the province.

The MGSLG was established in 2002 to continue with the legacy of anti-apartheid activist and dedicated teacher Matthew Goniwe (1946 – 1985), to improve quality of education and currently has two branches in Benoni, Ekurhuleni and Vrededorp, Johannesburg.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Johnathan Paoli 

THE Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane kicked off the School Safety Indaba on Saturday, in Ekurhuleni – part of the Safe Schools Campaign under Operation Kgutla Molao (Restore Order Campaign) – whose aim is to mobilise different stakeholders to safeguard schools against criminal activities, especially during the holidays.

The Gauteng Department of Education said that the Indaba being held at the Birchwood Hotel, Boksburg, will evaluate the progress of the campaign so far, develop further interventions for emerging threats and also provide a status update on identified high-risk schools in the province.

Chiloane launched “Operation Kgutla Molao” in response to reports of safety concerns at Gauteng schools and under this programme the department and its partners plan to deal and to reduce incidents of violence, bullying, suicide, substance abuse and sexual harassment at schools.

Just last week, two cases of sexual violence were reported at the Hope Learners with Special Education Needs School in Westcliffe, Joburg.

Chiloane spoke about the school and condemned the alleged misconduct of the learners and called for the need to root out the problem in terms of safety and discipline in the school community.

“The department relentlessly appeals to parents and school staff to work together in an effort to educate our pupils within a conducive environment at all times,” Chiloane said.

The Indaba is expected to kick off with a welcome and address by the acting HOD of the department Rufus Mmutlana with a keynote address by the MEC. 

In addition there will be discussions surrounding mental health services and elevated substance abuse programmes as well as 24/7 crisis lines and school-based intervention programmes. 

The Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership CEO Sibusiso Mahlangu is expected to summarise the findings of the indaba, with the Director of Social Crime Prevention and Victim Empowerment Programs from the Gauteng Department of Social Development to discuss implementation and issues surrounding the Child Justice Act. 

A representative from the Qalabotjha Secondary School is also expected to speak about the experiences and everyday realities that learners face.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Eddie Mtsweni

ANC activist and Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance (MGSLG) deputy chairperson Nomvuyo Violet Ntsali was laid to rest at Emfihlweni Heroes Park in Tembisa on Saturday.

Her burial ceremony, attended by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwane, followed a three hour funeral service held at the Tembisa Christian Family Church in Hospital View.

Other dignitaries who graced the Ntsali’s funeral service included Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane, Gauteng Health MEC and ANC provincial deputy chairperson Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, ANC provincial secretary TK Nciza, ANC Regional Task Team Convenor in Ekurhuleni Doctor Xhakaza, MGSLG board chairman Tsěliso Ledimo and chief executive Sibusiso Mahlangu.

Paying tribute to Ntsali, Lesufi described the woman who was popularly known as Mam Vi, as a dedicated leader and a mother who loved the poor.

“Comrades, before us lie a body of a special woman, a caring woman, a selfless woman. Upright, committed, clear. She was a mother to all of us. It is difficult to describe the pain and sadness that I feel. She was a sister, a mother and comrade, whom I shared so much over a long period. You are so much more than a fellow member of the movement. You are part of my wellbeing….my surrounding and my work. Our hearts may beat, but the sound has changed. Our minds may function, but our thoughts are troubled.

“Never did it pass our minds that one day we will gather like this without you Mama. With each coming day, your loss becomes more difficult to bear. Your loss is a painful one. You were never stubborn. You were never difficult. But you were always misunderstood. When the spear was blunt, comrade Mam Vi will sharpen it. When debates were directionless, Mam Vi will direct it. When anger was the order of the day, she will bring order and sanity. We have indeed lost a cadre,” said Lesufi. 

He said the best way to for the ANC to honour Ntsali was to win the 2024 general elections outright. 

“As we prepare your final ground, we want to commit one thing and one thing only…. the movement you loved so much, will never go down. The movement that you stood for… we will defend it with whatever that we have. 

“For us to win Gauteng, we need 2,5 million votes. What I know about Mam Vi, she was not coming to those voting polls alone. She brought her own family, her own community and everyone who believed in the ANC. Our task is very simple. It is to go and achieve those 2,5 million votes on her behalf, so that she can be happy where she is resting,” said Lesufi.

Chiloane said he was saddened by Ntsali’s untimely passing.

“In my view, she still had a lot to offer. Just last month, I reappointed her to the board to continue serving as deputy chairperson for the next three years. If there’s one thing that stood out about Mam Vi [is that] she took her role as a board member very seriously and professionally. 

“She will always be on time for board meetings. Given that we will not hear her voice again, we will be poorer without her. We honour and celebrate the life of Mam Vi as a great champion of education. She dedicated her life to the betterment of the system. Indeed a rare jewel has fallen from the crown, a sparkling light of hope has gone dim, a polyester that illuminated its lights on our lives is no more. Her passing is difficult to accept. How we choose to honour and celebrate her life is entirely up to us. Her unwavering commitment of providing opportunities for children and young people to succeed will never be forgotten. She was a true pioneer and always pushing for change. She was always advocating for the needs of our schools, teachers and learners. She made an incredible impact on our education system and her legacy will continue to leave on,” said Chiloane.

Ledimo said Ntsali performed her duties as deputy chairperson of MGSLG with diligence. 

“She was a pillar of strength. She carried hope all the time. She was action orientated and very passionate about work. She espoused discipline and respect. She was a mother figure in the board. She was a very vital organ of the board.

To honour her, we must sustain the legacy that she’s left us,” said Ledimo.

INSIDE EDUCATION