Ohlange High School Alumni Association

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRPERSON

“By faith we shall flourish.”

Over the years of its existence, the Ohlange High School Alumni Association (OHSAA) have learned invaluable lessons, and we continue to learn. We remain acutely aware of the evolving learner needs at our beloved school.

The OHSAA is a former students initiative aimed at fostering learner support by maintaining direct relations with the school and encouraging community cooperation. The OHSAA initiated academic support programmes focused on mathematics, science and economics subjects and supplied full uniforms to more than 2000 leaners in the past three years. A shining example of this collaborative spirit is the restoration of our national pride, the historic Stony Building, completed by the Dr J. L. Dube Family in partnership with Hollywoodbets. This act of renewal symbolises dignity, decency and restoration — not only of infrastructure, but of hope.

The initiative taught us an important lesson that while we welcome the programmes of the Department of Education, we must cultivate community-driven solutions. In this regard, OHSAA members maintained the main office building, through paint and other work to give decency to the management team and the school in general. And revived the house system which is invaluable for sports, cultural and academic support programmes.

Our partnership with the University of South Africa (UNISA), aimed at exploring sustainable programmes for the African child continue to include career guidance, academic pathing, exposure to new fields of study and emerging workspaces.

The presence of Investec at Mafukuzela Day 2025 symbolised the potential of strategic partnerships for learner support initiatives focused on talent identification and nurturing.

Community-Led Solutions

Over-dependence on state institutions can unintentionally weaken community creativity and zeal. While communities rightly expect service delivery, experience has shown that the most effective and lasting solutions are found within communities. We are not advocating isolation from government. Rather, we recognise that reliable, safe and sustainable progress emerges from guided, respectful and continuous community engagement.

The private sector — including small and medium enterprises — has proven to be reliable development partners. Beyond selling products and services, they invest in stable, thriving communities. They offer valuable lessons to learners interested in entrepreneurship and multi-venture careers.

We therefore continue to cultivate such reliable partnerships for the benefit of the learners.

Mandate to the Current EXCO 2025 to 2029

The OHSAA has entrusted the current Executive Committee with the responsibility to:

*   Ensure that annual programmes at the school are sustained, strengthened and expanded for broader impact.
*   Improve and stabilise alumni membership growth and enhance sponsorship for learners’ support initiatives, including the annual uniform drive for needy learners.
*   Support the improvement of academic excellence across all grades, with sustained focus on matric outcomes.
*   Strengthen communication within the wider Zebra community.
*   Identify and collaborate with like-minded legacy alumni institutions to initiate joint and exchange programmes.
* Operationalise and give practical effect to the initiatives of the Trust.
*   Integrate activities and maintain strategic liaison with the School Management Team, the Dube Family Institute, the Trust, the School Governing Body (SGB), and the associating foundations.

Community Responsibility

Many of South Africa’s most prominent schools were founded by communities — as were
Ohlange under the visionary leadership of Mafukuzela.

Their preservation and growth cannot rest solely on government. A school thrives when its
community derives value from it — not only as a place of learning, but as a source of hope,
identity and life.

It is our hope that the lessons implemented at Ohlange will be carried into our respective
communities — multiplying impact and spreading the effort.

Our Enduring Commitment

We place quality education, dignity, decency and shared community values at the centre of our mission.

It calls for courage in the face of hardship — identifying and facilitating responsive opportunities that empower learners as future active citizens who take charge of their lives, their communities and their destiny.

Ohlange must remain a beacon of hope and a pathfinder — collaborating with social movements, private institutions and government partners.

“Fide florebimus.”

Bheki Gumede

"BY FAITH WE SHALL FLOURISH"

Doctor John Langalibalele Dube

Doctor John Langalibalele Dube, also known as Mafukuzela, because of his relentless hard work to build the school, was the son of Mr Kakonina James Dube. Kakonina’s mother was Mayembe, who was the wife of Chief Dube.

Ohlange High School is a High School in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded by John Dube and Nokutela Dube née Mdima. It was the first school in South Africa started by a black person. John Dube was also the first President of what became the ANC. The school was chosen by President Nelson Mandela as the place where he would cast his vote in the first racially inclusive election in South Africa in 1994.

The Implementation of Dr JL Dube’s vision by subsequent leadership

In 1960, the government had planned to close the school, to convert it into a men’s hostel. The school had problems with the learners from the then Transvaal and Natal, fighting one another. By this time, the school was a boarding school, providing Arts, Carpentry, Academics, Music etc. It had been indeed an Industrial School, which DR JL Dube had dreamt of.

MAFUKUZELA SCHOOL ANTHEM

UMafukuzela, onjengezulu, selihlomile, nanxa licwathile iqhawe,
lodumo kuzizwe zalomhlaba.
Wasebenzani, uMafukuzela, esimkhalela, ngakho, ngalokhu nje?
Thulani, nilalele, nizakuzwa.
Wayezam’ukuba, sifund’ukuzimela,
Siziphilise, phakathi kwabezizwe.
Sizivikele, ezitheni zonke, ezinhlobonhlobo, singadliwa siphele, Mafukuzela.
Mhhh, mhhh!!! Izizukulwane zakithi aziboni, ukuba zona awu ziyesutha, zikhomba ngophakathi.
Azinandaba, ngobuqili obubulala thina Zulu, buyabonakala ukuthi obezizwe
Ngokungcola, zizam’ukubhubhisa, imiphefumlo yethu
Ukuze kuthi mhla wokuphela, singaliboni izulu!!!!

NEXT TUNE
Mafukuzela, onjengezulu, lala engcwabeni lakho Mafukuzela.
Thula, Qhawe lesizwe, sama Africa,
Mafukuzela, Wodumo, Qhawe
Lama Africa, asikhanyisela,
Mafukuzela, onjenge Zulu
Umhlaba, umhlaba, umhlaba, awudeli ngawe,
Nentaba, nentaba, nentaba, zithula zithi nya.
Phezulu, phezulu, phezulu, lapho usukhona,
Akukho lusizi, akukho nyembezi, njengoba silila,
Aw, usishiyile Mafukuzela, Mafukuzela weZulu
Nantu uHlange, luyakhuluma
Wahlabana Qhawe, lamaqhawe oHlanga
Thula Qhawe lesizwe sama Africa
Mafukuzela, wodumo qhawe
Lama Africa, wosikhanyisela
Mafukuzela, onjengeZulu

CANTATA
Wozanini bo, nizobonala, imisebenzi kaMafukuzela
Izimfamona, zazimethuka, zithi uyakhohlisa, kanti uyasebenza
Nansi inkanyiso lapha Ohlange!!!