Lucas Ledwaba
Matthew Goniwe’s excellent skills and commitment to teaching and empowering the community extended way beyond the
classroom. His discipline, passion and dedication to the profession and deep love for his community made him an
outstanding educator and community builder.
This is how Professor Mbulelo Goniwe, a former student of the slain political activist remembers the man who has come
to epitomise the ethos of ethical, committed and dedicated leadership and servitude both inside and outside the
classroom.
Professor Goniwe was a pupil of Matthew’s during his high school years in Mqanduli, a rural village in the Eastern Cape in
the early 1970s.
“He was a patriot, someone who had a genuine love for the motherland and his people, starting from his own family. He
had that kind of love. That really inspired so many of us to actually achieve the best of their potential. He was that kind of
person,” said Prof Goniwe.
“That’s how this whole passion for education is centred, in that love. That was the springboard of his commitment and
the innovative, interconnectedness of education and achievement,” he said.
Matthew was Prof Goniwe’s tat’omncinci, his father’s younger brother. In his youth the family entrusted him into the
hands of Matthew, the man who because of his prowess in boxing, was nicknamed Bullet.
“I was handed over to him to groom me and even look after my needs. That’s what led me then to be part of the active
resistance, taking forward the family tradition that has been imparted on us from generation to generation,” he said.
Prof Goniwe is an academic, a former political activist and ANC member of Parliament.
Matthew specialised in mathematics and physical science education and always went the extra mile to impart
knowledge on his learners.
“His world outlook and the life he led was to empower the black child to really understand mathematics and physical science
to broaden their horizons,” said Prof Goniwe.
The school in Mqanduli, like many in rural areas and townships at the time had no such resources as laboratories or
libraries. Instead of resigning himself to the fate laid out by the authorities then, to deprive black children of critical knowledge
and skills, Matthew took matters into his own hands.
“And he went the extra mile. Sometimes, he would use his own salary to buy material to do experiments,” Prof Goniwe
recalled.
The theme for this year’s 10th anniversary lecture of the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership is Transformative
Leadership for Social Change – Empowering the next generation.
Prof Goniwe believes that to be able to empower the next generation teachers need to possess and implement some of
Matthew’s qualities.
“The love for his people, the flora and fauna, and everything that you find. Then the second thing would be the dedication.
You have to be dedicated to what you do,” he said.
He cited the example of how during Matthew’s time, his work wouldn’t stop at the ringing of the bell in the afternoon.
“Imagine [back then] there were less teachers, but after school, they would coach rugby, they would coach athletics,
boxing. They would do a lot of extramural activities, not only focused on what they were paid for.
“So they heavily invested in us because we were actually the generation that would follow them,” he said.
This kind of dedication, coupled with an inclusive leadership style made Matthew a shining star and beacon of hope in his
community.
“He had that participatory leadership that doesn’t seek to take the credibility for achievement. He would delegate tasks
to people and try to empower them to be able to deliver to on their expectations,” Prof Goniwe said.
“He knew the importance of collective leadership, a servitude kind of leadership where you really want to serve the
people and not to be worshipped or adored or be populist,” he said.
Above all, Matthew understood how his position as a schoolteacher was perceived and respected in the broader
community. He knew that in the eyes of the community he was not just a man who stood in front of a class with a chalk.
“My own understanding of things is that, firstly, people, society, communities, where we are from, looked up to the
teachers and ministers of religion as important societal assets. So they had an unquestionable respect for such people.
They respected them,” Prof Goniwe reflects.
Added to that Matthew had already proven his political mettle after serving four years on Robben Island after being
convicted for furthering the aims of the ANC which was banned at the time.
Prof Goniwe believes that institutions such as the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership have a significant role to play
in society.
“They are very critical because once you seek to define yourself outside of your heritage, that is a very problematic
approach to life. You need to know and learn from your forebears.
“And once you have institutions like the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership that seeks to uphold, preserve and
advance a legacy of people like Matthew; it then speaks to the entire liberation struggle, heroes and heroines.
“That legacy is very beneficial to the future generations because they have to understand the link, how far did they go, and
what is it that they achieved. How you take forward their vision, interpret it in the context of the present,” he said.
It’s been 38 years since Matthew and his three comrades were brutally tortured and killed by Apartheid death squads.
Yet his name and the legacy of his work continue to live on.
“Memories fade, new people come up and so on. But he remains one of the few people that even after 30 years of their death is
still very prominent in the thoughts of many, many people. There are people that are never spoken about. After a month of their
death, they are forgotten.
“That’s why I said that the approach of the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and many other legacy preservation and promotion
activities also contribute to that memory to be kept alive,” he said.
INSIDE EDUCATION
