22 June, 2011 – The spirit of Mandela International Day was alive at Vulamazibuko Senior Primary School in Diepkloof today. CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation Achmat Dangor joined esteemed South African authors and poets, publishers and teachers to celebrate the donation of hundreds of books to the school. African Perspectives Publishing launched the initiative in partnership with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
South African writer Don Mattera and CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Achmat Dangor, pore over Nelson Mandela: The Authorised Comic Book
African Perspectives Publishing managing director and owner, Rose Francis, explained that, beyond wanting to encourage the reading of books, her goal was for the learners to interrogate the themes of each of the books that were donated; each learner at Vulamazibuko Senior Primary School had received a copy of Memory is the Weapon, Azanian Love Song and The Empowered Native.
African Perspectives decided to link this activity to Mandela International Day “to contribute to the legacy of Nelson Mandela in education – where the publishing house has a particular contribution to make,” said Francis.
Iconic South African writers Don Mattera (Memory is the Weapon, Azanian Love Song) and Letepe Maisela (The Empowered Native), and poet/spoken word artist Ntsiki Mazwai were there to encourage the learners, who in turn treated the artists to poetry recitals, songs and dancing.
Mattera called on the wisdom of Lebanese philosopher and poet Khalil Gibran when he spoke to the teachers: “Your children are not your children/They are sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself/They come through you but not from you/And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.”
He implored the adults in attendance to “wake up to the reality of what we [the parents, teachers and guardians] are producing. Engender a love of words, a love of nature, a love of life, and let the genius in them [the children] arise”.
African Perspectives Publishing’s Rose Francis with CEO of the Foundation, Achmat Dangor
Maisela, whose The Empowered Native is a fictional account of the 1976 Soweto youth uprising, said, “I can’t remember the last time I saw such vibrancy,” referring not only to the children, but the teachers, too. “I’ve never seen such passionate teachers!”
He had great advice for aspiring writers: “You don’t learn to write,” he said. “You learn to read, and you come to writing through reading. If you don’t read, you can never write.”
Speaking of her organisation’s sponsorship of the books, Prasa Senior Manager: Marketing Zipho Mavimbela said to the learners, “Knowledge is the key to all your dreams. There’s nothing that can empower you more than reading. We are very proud of the wonderful work we’ve seen today.”
Dangor was there to donate copies of Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom for children, and Nelson Mandela: The Authorised Comic Book to the school. “If Madiba was here today, he would be very inspired,” said Dangor. “We have seen the future here today.”
Dangor applauded Francis’s efforts: “What you have achieved with Prasa is truly unique. What you have done here today is such a prime example of the Mandela Day ethos and it’s a testament to what people can do together to make a change.”
The Nelson Mandela Foundation, African Perspectives Publishing and Prasa are eager to expand this project throughout the province.
The learners at Vulamazibuko Senior Primary School presented a series of performances on the day
Poet/spoken word artist Ntsiki Mazwai’s performance elicited whoops from the children
Letepe Maisela gave great advice for aspiring writers
Prasa’s Zipho Mavimbela said, “There’s nothing that can empower you more than reading”
Author Don Mattera and CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Achmat Dangor