MEC Maboya and the chairperson of the board at Lindobuhle ECD William Monosi, handing over the keys for the building.
MEC Maboya officially opens Lindobuhle ECD and Dr Tate Makgoe Primary School
On the first day of the Month of October, celebrating educators globally, MEC for Education, Dr MJ Maboya, officially opened two infrastructure facilities in Mangaung Metropolitan Education District.
Lindobuhle Early Childhood Centre in Botshabelo is the first brick and mortar ECD built in the province since the migration of Early Childhood Development to Education. The building comprises of facilities such as classrooms, a kitchen, offices, sickbay and play area and caters for 70 children.
This facility brings much relief to the matron, practitioners and more importantly, the little children, who are now housed in a proper structure that is suitable for their stimulation and early learning development.
The pinnacle of the programme, was the official opening and renaming of Arbeidsgenot to Dr Tate Makgoe Primary School. A nod to struggle stalwart and late former education MEC, Dr Tate Makgoe. Located in Bloemfontein, Dr Tate Makgoe Primary School caters for 920 leamers, and it’s a state-of-the-art building that boasts infrastructure innovation. The school was nominated for the Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) awards, an appreciation of the engineering excellence and design of the school.
Among the entourage led by MEC Maboya and guests present, were the family members of the late MEC Makgoe, at the opening. As his son, Junior Makgoe, ascended the stage, he also danced to the same song his father used to dance to, Simply the Best.
He said “Thank you so much for honouring my father, thank you for making us feel welcomed. This is a beautiful school, with wonderful staff and learners. The infrastructure, the facilities we’ve seen, show the beautiful work that was put in building this school. My father would always emphasize the prioritization of education, first, then nutrition to ensure that learners are well taken care of and learn properly. And that is visible here. He would also say that if a school was to be named after him, he would want it to be a primary school, and I have seen that.”
Closing off the programme, MEC Maboya, had this to say, “The story of Arbeidsgenot Primary is the story of Dr. Pule Herbert “Tate” Makgoe. He too was born into hardship. He too understood what it meant to rise against the odds. He too believed, with all his being, that education is the most powerful weapon to change the world. As MEC for Education, Dr. Makgoe dedicated his life to uplifting schools just like this one. He believed that the dignity of a child begins with the dignity of their classroom. He carried in his heart a fierce conviction: that no matter where a child comes from, they deserve the best education this province can offer. And so, it is no coincidence – it is destiny – that on the very day we open this new, dignified school, we also rename it in his honour”.
