Johannesburg - The late father of billionaire mining magnate, Patrice Motsepe, will be honoured for his contribution to education in Soweto.
ABC Motsepe, once a teacher at Orlando Secondary School (formerly Orlando High School) counts the likes of June 16, 1976 leader Majakathata Mokoena and soccer legend Ephraim ‘Jomo’ Sono, as former students.
Motsepe Snr will have his name grace the library at the famous school. The renaming of the library will form part of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the school in 1939.
Vuka Tshabalala, one of the leaders of the Orlando High School 80th Anniversary Organising Committee said they had alerted the Motsepe family about their intention to rename the library after Motsepe Snr.
"Within two weeks, a representative of the family replied via email that the family was in support of the renaming. They (Motsepe family) said they would later send official communication of their decision, but assured us they were in agreement with our decision (to rename the library, A.B.C. Motsepe Library),” he said.
Motsepe Snr was also a former leader of the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NAFCOC). He died in June 2007, four years after the death of his wife, Kay Motsepe, a nurse by profession and mother to Patrice, Bridgette Radebe and First Lady Tsepo Motsepe, the wife of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Tshabalala said the Motsepe family were “very pleased” with the honour bestowed upon their father.
He said he was positive the Motsepe Foundation, the family’s community development wing headed by Patrice and his wife Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, would support the library with books and other resources to benefit students at the school.
The 80th anniversary commemoration of the Orlando High School, as indicated at a recent meeting of the Organising Committee on June 13, 2019, will celebrate the many luminaries who make up the alumni teachers and students such as world-famous singer-songwriter Letta Mbulu, who was a student and former late Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) president Zephania Mothopeng, once a teacher at the school.
A gala dinner in September, at which former student and Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga may be keynote speaker, is also in the works.