To most rural learners, a full uniform is a luxury they cannot afford. For poor and vulnerable learners at Makanyu Primary School at Mphego outside Thohoy-andou, going to school barefoot will be a thing of the past, thanks to the generosity of the president of the African National Congress Youth League, Julius Malema, who donated 100 pairs of shoes, computers, furniture and prom-ised a high school to the community of Mphego.

Malema, known for his controversial utterances, was accompanied by the executive mayor of Vhembe District Municipality, Councillor Falaza Mdaka, and the provin-cial and regional lead-ership of the ANCYL.

Speaking at the occasion, Malema said growing up in a village had taught him to understand the hard-ships faced by rural families. “I was born and bred in this province where unemployment is rife and this made me understand life better. I do not want to see these kids suffer and not have a brighter future,” he said. Malema further said the donation formed part of a project to encourage the learners to take their education seriously, so that they too can be-come educated future leaders. He said he had assessed the situation at the school and found it wanting. “We are going to intervene and see to it that learners have better resources. We were touched to see some of the learners with tattered uniforms and others coming barefoot,” he said.

Malema said he could not just sit down and pretend that nothing was happening. “These are our children, brothers, sisters and future leaders of this country. Let us rally behind them to ensure that they all have access to better education,” he said. He said he was encouraged by the manner in which the school was being run and the unity dis-played by members of the staff, learners, traditional leaders and the community at large. “This is the way things should be run in an ANC government. There should be order and everything will go well with us,” he said.

The chairperson of the School Governing Body at Makanyu Primary School, Mr Robert Netshivhumbe, said their village was plagued by a high un-employment rate, with most of the parents not having decent jobs. He said the village was also a victim of the scourge of HIV/Aids, which has left many households being run by children, after the parents died of AIDS. “We are very grateful for what Malema is doing to improve the education of our children,” he said.

Vhembe District Municipality Executive Mayor Philemon Mdaka, who showed his passion for education by establishing a bursary fund for disadvantaged learners, encouraged the children to take their education seriously. “It starts here. This is your foundation. We were once learners like you and we worked hard in order to achieve our goals. It is possible and nothing can stop you from achieving your long-cherished dreams,” he said.