A leading bank has donated R100 000 to a South African Council of Churches (SACC) School Development Programme in the Limpopo Province.

The cheque was handed over to church council officials by First National Bank's Hlengani Mathebula, at a special ceremony on Tuesday.

Mathebula expressed the hope that other corporate companies would become involved in similar programmes.

He commended the church body for the excellent results achieved by the programme. In one case, a school had improved its matric pass rate from 2 percent to 90 percent.

Mr Mautji Pataki, NPCC provincial secretary, welcomed the partnership between the church council and the bank, saying it had emerged "out of the plight and suffering of our people". The funding would help to make a difference in six schools included in the development programme.

He explained that the funding would be used to build capacity in the areas of educator development, school management, study skills, school chaplainries, and career guidance.

In his response, business leader Tom Boya praised the church body for the excellent work it had done through the years. He assured church officials that the business sector would make its contribution in a suitable way.

In expressing the appreciation of the SACC, Rev Kgahlodi Kgomo said it was in the nature of the Church to respond to human needs, but it needed assistance "to concretise its action programmes".