1 January 1995 – 31 June 2001

May each one reading this compilation of messages be filled with our vision of compassion for our children, their education and their future. Ka boikokobetso! God bless our school! He also said : “Keep on opening new doors to rooms filled with new opportunities, new challenges, and new horizons. Stay together, work together and stand up for your right to quality education. “Hand in hand vir ‘n beter toekoms. Seize the day. Morena boloka sekola sa heso!

His farewell message in 2001 :

As was announced on 18 May, I have accepted a post as principal at St Michael’s School in Bloemfontein as from 1 July 2001. I look forward to the new challenge, creating new opportunities and establishing new horizons in a new environment. The decision, however, was not easy. I myself had more questions than answers. To part with an institution where you have spent six and a half years of the prime time of your life, where hardship and achievement, tears of joy and tears of distress, cries of exhilaration, moments of despair changed into triumphant successes, all joined to help to create a unique educational institution of which I had the privileged to be part of. A place where “rainbow people” not only means differences, but uniqueness, where quality does not only mean attitude, but aptitude, where achievement does not only mean position, but disposition. I have no regrets. I have personally developed tremendously and learned a lot. I don’t want to take credit for developments or achievements. I’d rather like to thank our Lord for bestowing upon me the opportunity to manage a group of exceptional people – staff, learners and parents – to realise their potential and to put it into practice. The enormous growth – not in numbers, but in achievement and human potential – only happened because of God’s grace and will. I believe that Navalsig needs new direction. The management of the school and the staff as a whole is so professional that new challenges will just enhance their performances. The late president Nelson Mandela once said : “Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.” A small minority tried their best to undo the good work at the school, but never succeeded.

As stated in Psalm 37 : 9, “For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.” Why move on then? Apart from my personality type which indicates that I am an architect of ideas and systems who then leaves it to others to build on and apply, I found my answer when I once came upon the following poem by AJ Cronin :

Life is no straight and easy corridor along which we travel free and unhampered,
but a maze of passages, through which we must seek our way,
lost and confused, now and again checked in a blind alley.
But always, if we have faith, God will open a door for us,
Not perhaps one that we ourselves would ever thought of,
but one that will ultimately prove good for us.

I believe that God had opened new doors for us all. New doors will be opened for Navalsig, and new doors will open for me. All we need to do is to use these opportunities to open doors for others. But remember – we need to stand together. “Sonqoba Simunye” – we conquer together. Die Prediker sê : (4 : 9, 12) “Twee vaar beter as een. ‘n Driedubbele tou breek nie maklik nie.”
Stand firm in your quest for quality education. Don’t allow the minority of individuals with dubious intentions to derail you. As Native American poetry states : “May you soar like the eagles, and shine like the sun…. And may your spirits and hearts join together as one.”

My closing message : I can’t think of anything more appropriate than the words of the apostle Paul to the Philippians (4 : 8, 9)
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is execellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Kgotso, pula, nala. Ek groet u. 6