SA’s longest serving teacher passes away
The country’s longest serving teacher Nonsikelelo Qwelane has died.
The death of the 100-year-old woman was confirmed by the Mpumalanga Education Department on Tuesday.
She served as a teacher for more than 79 years across several provinces and received numerous accolades for her stellar work in the sector, including the Presidential order of the Baobab in Bronze in recognition of her outstanding contribution to education.
In 2018, Qwelane also received an MEC Special Award from the Mpumalanga Department of Education for her commitment and dedication to teaching.
Mpumalanga’s education spokesperson Jasper Zwane says Qwelane’s eagerness and knowledge earned her the title of “a walking geography textbook” among her colleagues.
“In her long teaching career, she had taught and mentored many community leaders including the late Former Chief Minister of the former Kangwane Government, Dr Enos Mabuza.
“Besides her involvement with school children, Gogo Qwelane also participated in other community organisations such as the informal women’s forum.
“After retirement from the teaching service in the public sector, Gogo Qwelane didn’t want to stop teaching; she decided to offer her teaching services at private schools such as Metropolitan International College in White River where she taught her favourite subject Geography to matric learners. Her pupils consistently achieved good results.”
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Zwane says Qwelane’s passing is a sore point.
"The contribution that Gogo Qwelane has made in the teaching profession is unmatched.
“She was a heroine and a true embodiment of a conduit for knowledge and values as she did not only teach the curriculum as prescribed but also played the role of a parent to her learners very well.”
Qwelane will be laid to rest on Thursday in White River in Mpumalanga.
