Schoemansdal
Box 677
Shongwe Mission
28 November 2012
I, Stephen S Magagula, started teaching as primary school teacher in 1960 (HPTC).I started in lower primary farm school for two years from Sub A to Standard two.
In 1963, I went to higher primary in Whiteriver. I taught standard five. The following year I was given standard six to teach. I had very little Afrikaans knowledge so I concentrated on Afrikaans. The results were very poor; my whole class had failed with only one boy passing with a first class symbol. This was a bitter pill to sallow but a great lesson I learnt. The circuit by then was from Lydenburg to Mbhuzini. I beat all the schools in Afrikaans only.
In 1965, I got a transfer from Whiteriver to Scheomansdal. I learnt here to balance my subjects. There were 90 pupils and were divided into two groups .In each group there was 45 pupils. In March of that same year the inspector came. I was in the process of studying my class and the inspector said “You are fast asleep, I will come again in September and I will show u ’’. I remained and prepared my class thoroughly. I was in charge of isiZulu in both classes.
We used to teach them three recitations and a prose. The prose was about a man who had to fly overseas. It was busy at the station. There were many people going up and down. A boy was selling a newspaper shouting “Thenga! Thenga! iphepha uMphikeleli uyawela’’. When Mphikeleli saw the boy, he stood up and shouted at the boy “Heyi!! Wena mfana! Ubani okutshel’ukhuthi umemeze igamalami?’’Just before the boy could respond, there a taxi stopped .To pick up Mphikeleli, He forgot about the boy. He gave the driver money in notes without counting it.
So I gave my money to one of the girls who was to go to Zulu orals. I gave her my bag with a few notes of money in it. I told her that when you come to the part that says “He gave money without counting it Give the inspector the money, when he stretches out his hands to receive it, take it back and continue. When you recite, I want the inspector to stop writing and look at you”. The girl did as I had instructed and the inspector was very impressed. He went on to mention to the principal “Sir you have pinned down these children’’ and gave them 3 marks more. By the end of that year the principal had seven first class symbols from his class and I had five first class symbols in my class.
While teaching at Scheomansdal, I was the secretary for Thuthuka Schoemansdal water project. On Sundays I was a preacher in the Anglican Church. From Schoemansdal Primary School, I was appointed at Zandile Primary School in Bufflespruit as Principal. I was there for four years.I went to Kwa-Zulu-Natal Primary School from there. I also went to New Consort Mine as Principal. I ended up at Buyani Primary School as H.O.D. At the end of 1986 December, I HAD A CAR ACCIDENT .
I got my L1 bone broken. I thought it was the end of life and yet it was not. I spent six months in hospital. I had to remain alone at home whilst my wife and children were at school, sitting under the tree every day. I had one question to God “God but why have u chosen me to sit on this wheelchair?’’ This question went on for several days .The answer came in the form of a question. “Amongst all these people, who could have said: God, this is good for me, I thank you?”
From there, I was doing physical training, I learnt more about my disability. The lady involved in this art of my recovery was Ms Lidia Pretorius. She played a very big role in my disability as she informed me further about my newly found limitations. She invited me to a conference for disabled people for four provinces by then, I was chosen to interpret .Many things were discussed and I was impressed by one group from Manguse in KZN. They had collected R1000-00, which shocked all of us present at the conference , they had each paid R100 as they wanted to build a workshop were they could come together and do craft artwork . This was in 1989. The disability grant was R150 on alternating months and I had not received it by then .
Upon my return I searched for other disabled individuals. I found an old man and told him all about the conference. The first meeting included 2 the next one we agreed to each bring a member. That was in 1990. We started making candles. It was wonderful to see a candle made by disable people burning .There was no power lines by then, so people bought our candles. There after we started to make fences and the likes.
From there, I was employed by Disabled People of South Africa (DPSA). I was given a combi by the organisation. My son, Goodwill had to help me to drive the combi. My job was to convene meetings with other disabled people and teach them that disability is not the end of life. A disabled person can still do something and live.
My area was from Piet Retief to Pietersburg by then. I had to establish groups in the areas I visited .At times I would be invited to the hospital to counsel patients who were to use a wheel chair. Most people would look at me with no answer when I questioned them , then after a week they would warm up to me , and start to ask questions about their newly found limitation , eventually they would end up asking all the details they needed in order to live on . On Doctors day at hospital, I would go to there to inform O.P.D patients to inform them about the help they can receive. In 1994, I was blessed to fly from Jan Smit airport to Cape Town and Bloemfontein, seeing the area was too vast. An exciting time indeed.
When I started there were only 3 groups of disabled people in the area .I established twenty groups including Silindokuhle School for disabled children assisted by Kangwane Government, which was a big struggle due to the cost of accommodating for all disabled children’s infrastructural needs, but we conquered .It is a big school, a really big school. I established Simisele centre for grown up people at Scheomansdal, when I reached 70 years I retired.
Written in 2012 , In Schoemansdal
With Love, SS Magagula
We spent that summer writing this as a submission for a local award ceremony.
