I was born on the 27 of October 1952 in a white stock farmer's
farm at Barkley Pass in the Eastern Cape. My father was a farm
worker at the said farm. My father named me Funani because other
farm workers used to ask what he wanted in the white farm when
his father had his own farm. The farmer's wife named me Mvula
because it was raining heavily where I was born. My father used
to carry me on his back when collecting the farmer 's sheep
on horseback because my mother was a domestic worker for the
same white farmer, Mr kannetjie Heater . My father earned a
monthly salary of 1 pound and my mother 5/- (fifty shillings).
They were given one sheep per annum. They were also given a
daily food supply of a pint of mealie meal and skimmed milk.
After five years their service terminated and they returned
home to the Corn lands farm in Cala where I grew up. On our
arrival my, grandfather nulified and renamed me Zanenkomo, Zanazo
'because we arrived with a number of sheep, cattle and fowls.
It was 1956. In 1958 I started schooling at Cala River Lower
Primary School where our principal and teacher named me Washington
after an American teacher, Booker Washington. In 1962 I passed
my std 2 and transfered to lower Cala Primary school. I passed
my std 6 in 1966. In 1967 I was admitted at Arthur Tsengiwe
where I did my Junior Certificate with first class obtaining
an A symbol in Arithmetic in 1969. I was one of the prominent
member of school soccer team. In 1970 I was taken to Blythswood
Institution to do my Primary Teacher Certificate. I excelled
in Athletic sport, Soccer, Rugby and Softball. In 1971 I represented
the Western Tembuland School in 400 m Hurdles at the provincial
Championships in Umtata. I also represented the Western Transkei
Schools in soccer in the Provincial Tournaments in the same
year.
In 1972 I started teaching at Seplan Primary school. I taught
std 5 for two years, and in 1974 I taught std 6 which was an
externally examined class in those days. I presented 19 candidates
in which 10 obtained first class passes and 9 second classes.
The school won a floating trophy for the Best result std 6 Results.
I also sat for the senior certificate in which I passed four
subjects as a private candidate.
In 1975 I was promoted to the post of vice-principalship. The
education structure also changed and std 7 was incorporated
in the Primary School Curriculum to change schools to Junior
Secondary Schools in which std 7 was incorporated in Primary
School Curriculum to change the schools to Junior secondary
Schools in which std 7 candidates became an exit point . In
1977 our school presented 28 std 7 candidates in which 5 obtained
first class passes and 23 were ordinary passes .The school again
won a trophy for best results in the district.
In 1980 I was appointed as a principal of Seplan Junior Secondary
School where I served. I am now studying for a diploma in Education
at the University of port Elizabeth in a branch at Queenstown
. In 974 the school obtained the best results in the region,10
first class 9 second classes no failures . In 1975 I represented
Transkei Adult Athletics at Fort Hare. In 1976 school soccer
team represented the Western Zone in District Elimination for
Transkei Independence. In 1977 School Soccer Team represented
the Western Zone in the District Championships, losing final
by 0-1. In 1988 I represented Transkei Teacher's Association
(TTA )Team in Softball At Bophutatswana (Mabatho).
I would like our school to be one of the modern beautiful schools
with tiled concrete floors and ceiling. I shall not rest until
our school receives funds for the renovation of buildings and
for the construction of a school hall and Science apparatus
and construction of a computer room with computers. I would
also like to see our school well securely fenced with a governmentally
remunerated security guard at the gate to eliminate vandalism
and looting. It would be great relief to me to see our school
having nicely prepared sport ground with sufficient sports equipment
as the area has potential as far as sport is concerned. I feel
that the involvement and cohesive participation of the parents
is encouraged by attractiveness and the beauty of a school.
It is my aim that the entire community be exposed to the modern
supplicated world of the technological era.
