FORMER classmates of Erasmus Monareng Secondary School have a perfect reason to celebrate.
On Saturday, 28 October they had a get together at Zulu section in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni to celebrate the reunion of the class of 1988.
The event brought together former classmates who were the first standard 6 pupils (grade 8) that year.
Nkonjane Tembe, who came up with the idea of planning the reunion with another former classmate, said they felt the need to reconnect with ex-classmates after 30 years.
"We felt it was important to organise the reunion and come up with plans on how we can plough back to the school. One of the plans is to honour the teachers who made a huge impact on our lives. We also plan to help pupils who come from disadvantaged families at the school," he said.
Nkonjane said that tracking down their former classmates wasn't easy, and they had to look them up on social media.
“After tracking a few of our former classmates, we created a WhatsApp group and before we knew it, we were about 90 on that group. The former classmates were happy to see one another after years of losing contact."
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He said this was their first-ever reunion and they plan to have similar events in the coming years.
Octavia Edom, another event organiser, said they will visit the school and have a discussion with management about their intentions to assist disadvantaged pupils at Erasmus Monareng.
She said: "We're thankful for the role played by former teachers who helped to produce teachers, lawyers, nurses, and entrepreneurs through their teaching and guidance. The best way to show our appreciation is to empower the pupils at the school."
Vincent Masango, who is a lawyer, said even though the school didn't have enough resources at the time, it managed to produce many professionals in different fields.
Hleziphi Sidu urged the pupils to focus on their studies.
She said: "It doesn't mean you can't achieve your goals when you go to a township school. We wish the matriculants the best of luck ahead of their final exams which start on 30 October. They need to stay focused and do their best."
