MAZISI KUNENE CENTRE

Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele will officially open the Mazisi Kunene Centre of Excellence at KwaHluzingqondo Secondary School at Amahlongwa on the south coast of Durban today (December 4)

The R2.8 million centre is funded by ACSA/Dube Tradeport through the Ilembe King Shaka Construction Consortium. It is named after Mazisi Kunene, the renowned African poet laureate famous for, among others, the classic epic poem Emperor Shaka the Great. Kunene grew up at Amahlongwa and is buried there.

In line with the spirit of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP 17) climate change conference currently in Durban, the Mazisi Kunene Centre of Excellence will be launched under the theme Re-Green My Village.

The Mazisi Kunene Foundation, which has been working at the KwaHluzingqondo Secondary School for three years, has raised funds for the centre. The foundation is playing a leading role in the ongoing infrastructure and education improvement drive at KwaHluzingqondo. It recently completed the construction of a multimillion rand library and computer centre, the repainting of the school by Plascon SA and the commissioning of state-of-the-art science laboratory funded by Bidvest Freight.

Internationally acclaimed architects are Don Albert & Associates whose founder Don Albert is a South African who studied at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Leading South African private sector freight management group Bidvest Freight strongly supports the foundation’s education efforts and has funded a R1 million drive for education materials and the KwaHluzingqondo Secondary school’s tutorial programme. The US Consulate in Durban has also donated library books and continues to give much-needed support to the school. Last year the foundation’s tutorial programme helped improve the matric pass rate at the school from 33% in 2009 to 45% in 2010.

The Durban Business Enhancement Initiative (Durban Invest) and solar products and services company, Solarzone KZN are the sponsors of the launch.

For further information, contact Zosukuma Kunene, Communications Director, Mazisi Kunene Foundation on 072 970 8099.