Tamanna for change

By Siyabulela Mokebe

This book explores the pivotal role of family as a primary institution in shaping children into adults and influencing the overall development of communities. It delves into the challenges faced by children left to fend for themselves due to the unfortunate loss of their parents. The author reflects on personal triumphs and setbacks amid harsh circumstances, providing insight into the potential impact of parental absence on the trajectory of these individuals and the communities they inhabit.

Siyabulela Mokebe, bred, but not born in Alexandra Township, navigated his educational journey from primary to high school within the community. Despite the early loss of his parents, he remained steadfast in pursuing education and achieved academic excellence, graduating with honours from the University of the Witwatersrand. Currently serving as a dedicated math and science educator in Johannesburg, Mokebe's fervour for education is evident. However, beneath his professional exterior lie unresolved and suppressed traumatic experiences that posed significant challenges, threatening to jeopardize his accomplishments.

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Siyabulela Mokebe
• Release date: Dec 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9780796135070

Book preview

How My Credo and Predilections are Influenced by Ghetto Idiosyncrasies

Siyabulela Mokebe

Ke Mofokeng wa Mmapudungwana Phahla, motho wa Mma kgomo ha e tswale bosiu e ya hlola e ka kgona e tswale motsheare wa nyene banana ba e shebile bo Motshewa le bo Motshewanyane. Ba direng ha ba re rohaka ba re; Re matotomana manyela tlatlaneng. Batho ba nyelang pitsaneng eo ba jelang ho yona. Sakeng la rona kgomo e kgwaba le e kgwabana ha e kene, re hana re nyaletswe ka yona re e hlabela thoteng re nka nama re siya lekoko. Ndingu Dlamini Jama kaSijadu, Fakade, ngxiwa enoboya, ndlebe zintle zombini, izizi elimnyama neenkomo zalo, tshetshengwane

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Dedication

To my late parents, my maternal, and paternal ancestors, thank you for always being with me and protecting me at all times. Also, my sincere gratitude to my siblings for their love, peace and tolerance. To my son (El Niño), niece (Melo), nephew (Shanoza), and other offspring who never saw the light of the day, I thank you for giving me the reason to persist with determination in all my endeavours. My significant other, Amkele Yokwe, I wouldn't have written this book if it wasn't for your support, unconditional love and constant encouragement. Mr Raymond Martin was the reason why the idea of writing a book crossed my mind and Hilton Rudnick seconded the idea so I wholeheartedly thank these gentlemen for believing in me even when it is not fashionable to do so. I wouldn't have had the strength to even start if it wasn't for the healthy friendships I have with Michael (Mzu M) Mabhamka, Sizwe Habile, Dumazile Chauke, Wendy Bapela, Mapula Molepo, Koketso Lekgoro, and many more who have been by my side throughout my journey. My learners are part of my support structure and therefore I also thank them for always believing in me and my capabilities. Lastly, I pour my gratitude to my colleagues for the camaraderie between us that makes every interaction with them worthwhile.

Contents

Dedication       5

Introduction       11

Chapter 1

Bunking school was a miscalculation   16

Chapter 2

First steps towards a quicksand    28

Chapter 3

Experiences at the new school    33

Chapter 4

Bursary slipped through my strong grip    40

Chapter 5

The queen departed without saying goodbye  46

Chapter 6

The book I never got to publish    60

Chapter 7

The king followed her queen    65

Chapter 8

Driven by authority to self-reliance     75

Chapter 9

She is truly sent by the Creator!    90

Chapter 10

Cheating for the first time.     99

Chapter 11

A Glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel  105

Chapter 12

Matriculation results of 2013    116

Chapter 13

Thorny road to tertiary     121

Chapter 14

Doom and gloom ushered in depression    128

Chapter 15

My first year at the Education Campus   150

Chapter 16

My overall journey at the education campus  158

Chapter 17

Becoming a teacher      168

Chapter 18

Lessons learnt     203

Letters      223

Introduction

T

his book is about my life and the myriad difficulties that I had endured and risen above before becoming a teacher. Being a teacher is not just a job I’m grateful for because I can pay my bills, and take care of myself and my family, but also a career and a profession of which I feel blessed to be a member. It allows me to work for the development and betterment of society. Moreover, it enables me to help young ones who are still naïve about life, from the perspective of someone who was dealt many hard blows by life. Whenever I’m simplifying algebraic expressions and solving equations in my math class, I always make sure that I emphasis to my learners the importance of hard work and intrinsic motivation. These, among other things, have enabled me to overcome the gravitational pull towards the center of abject poverty.

I grew up in an environment surrounded by people who weren’t educated, but who valued education and made sure that young girls and boys were at school during school hours and not bunking. Grown folks would beat you up if they saw you bunking, even if they weren’t from your neighborhood. The sad thing is that, when you got home, you wouldn’t even tell your parents about them because you knew that that would lead to another beating. I was also among those kids who were coerced to go to school, because initially I didn’t see any reason for doing that. Neither of my parents had reached grade 12, or standard 10, as it was called then. My mom had dropped out of school when she was in grade 11, and my dad never went to high school. My dad couldn’t read nor write, but he was one of the smartest people I have ever known. My mom was also smart and, if I was to compare her with my dad, she was the most passionate about education.

I was born in Tembisa but grew up in Alexandra Township, which is where my formal education took place. I still have a few memories of my home in Tembisa; they have troubled me for the longest time. However, that doesn’t mean I recall details of everything because that would be a lie. It’s the size of the house I remember, when I compare it to the house, I grew up in that seems to bother me so much.

I’ve always wondered why my parents moved us from a big, spacious house with a big yard that belonged to our family to a small shack among more than 100 shacks in a single yard! Obviously, there must have been a powerful reason, but I guess I’ll never know it because it’s none of my business.

I grew up in a family of five: my parents, my elder brother, then the last born was my younger sister. It wasn’t always nice, but my parents were there together to make sure that we were never a laughingstock in the eyes of the public. We always had clothes and food at the house, though some of the things I used to eat then would never be part of my menu today. Problems arose when my short-tempered dad lost his temper or got drunk.

It is in those moments when I wished I could have a different father. He caused serious havoc for everyone; to this day some people still tell stories of some of the extremely violent things he would sometimes do to us as a family, not excluding my mom. However, as I grew older, there was some personality change in him. This is the story of how I got from that difficult beginning to where I am now in life.

Bunking School was a Miscalculation.

A

t the age of five years, I was already acquainted with the rough streets of Alexandra. I saw my neighborhood as my big playground, which meant I didn’t care much about my whereabouts and whether my mom was left stressed at home when I went out to play. My father normally left home at around 5am to either go look for piece work if he didn’t have a job or go to work. Whatever he had to do, I knew that by the time my mom started preparing my brother for school, I needed to find a way to abscond and meet up with my friends. I just wanted to go and play as soon as I possibly could because that’s the only thing I knew. I would leave home to go and play, having to cross busy streets and travel a long way without any adult supervision. That didn’t matter to me and my friends then because we just wanted to explore the area, especially me.

One morning my friends and I decided to go and play around an area with some old firms in it. It was my first time going to that area, and so I wasn’t sure about the route we took to get there. Time flew and we didn’t care much, because we were just playing, and no one seemed to be bothering us in that area. After a while, I stopped playing because I was hungry, and these friends of mine were still enjoying themselves.

Not only was my stomach bothering me with sounds, but I was also worried that my father might get home before I did and that will just be inviting a long session of wrestling between me and