Sidwell Mayekiso used his disability grant to fund a chess academy in Khayelitsha that has since birthed several chess champions.
Chess master Sidwell Mayekiso was so determined to begin a chess academy in Khayelitsha that he used money from his disability grant to fund trips to tournaments.
When Mayekiso and his wife, Zingiswa, moved to Cape Town in 2016, they saw how easily young children were being lured into a life of gangsterism and drugs; and they wanted to make a difference.
This is how the 2 Knights Chess Academy began in 2017.
“I realised that I wanted to impart my knowledge of chess to the younger generations,” he said.
“This is why we started 2 Knights Chess Academy. I want to change their lives, which is why I taught them how to play chess and how to play it well,” he added.
At first he was forced to use his disability grant of R1500 to pay for transport to and from championships and to register for tournaments. The transport was R900 at the time, which eat up most of his disability grant.
“I told my wife I want to sacrifice that money because the parents have made it known that they cannot afford it,” he said.
Today, Mayekiso doesn’t need to use his disability grant anymore, thanks to the assistance of local NPO Ikamva Labantu through its Ikamva Ventures programme. The programme aims to support change-makers in communities to build community resilience and strength.
As a child, the chess lover was diagnosed with polio which caused him to become wheelchair-bound at a young age. While he attended physiotherapy he began to learn how to play chess.
“My love for the game has only grown since then.”
The 54-year-old said he wouldn’t allow his disability to stop him from giving back to his community.
“In our communities, we need to make a difference. Whether you are disabled or not, you can still contribute.”
He added: “I want to see these kids being able to pay forward the skills that I have taught them.”
He said other disabled people played active sports like basketball but that wasn’t for him.
“I chose chess as my choice of sport,” he said.
The 2 Knights Chess Academy is hosted at Impendulo Primary School and any other location that makes space available. Before the pandemic, Mayekiso had a rotation of up to 150 pupils of all school-going ages. Today, he has 60 students.
Two of Mayekiso’s students, Thimna Angel Choli and Solulele Diniso, were selected to represent South Africa at the World Schools Individual Chess Championship in Panama City in 2019. But the pandemic put paid to their chances of playing overseas.
Another top performer from the academy, Bongolethu Ncethelo, plays chess for the Western Province with a rating of 1500.
Mayekiso said the gratitude from his student and their parents was all the reward he needs.
“Parents cannot stop saying thank you and that warms my heart so much.
In future, he would love to own his own chess school.
“I want a place where they can practice chess but also a safe space where they can spend time away from the distractions of the outside world.”