We tend to forget the true impact of the youth who marched on 16 June 1976. Their leadership was not borne of ego or popularity. They sacrificed the only opportunity they had for a decent education, on a bitter cold winter’s morning, at Sir Isaac Morrison High School and Naledi High School, when they congregated to collectively sing Nkosi Sikelel i’Afrika, to not only bless their march but to band together for a common cause: the fight for the right to equal access to education. They were leading to serve those who could not raise their voices, so that they too could benefit from that fight.

It is easy to forget that these leaders were children, many of whom were young women who were not expected to fight and yet rose above the limitations placed on them by society. They understood that their role, and their collective voice, was to fight for a future that would benefit all.

Fast forward to a post-Covid generation where young women’s voices, although louder, tend to be drowned out by popularist statements where leadership forgets that serving is at the centre of everything that we do. The premise that the loudest voice is the most important was one of the topics that became a discussion point amongst delegates at the recent South African Girls’ Schools Association (SAGSA) held recently in Pretoria. The focus of this conference challenged delegates to think about unlocking - to unlimitthemselves. This concept of unlimiting was most important when thinking about leaders, in our schools, and encouraging them to be better leaders through service.

The challenge was focused more on developing one’s soft skills in leadership, where in a world that relied on show boating to win at all costs, service to one’s peers has lost relevance. Society has sought to evolve and yet, we find ourselves, especially those in girls’ education, reasserting the relevance of service as well as why the community is important.

Our values of Love, Community and Integrity are what sets us apart. The fact that our student leaders are encouraged to not only love one another but also serve this proud community that has been in existence for the past 135 years through integrity.

Antoinette Sithole is popularly known as Hector Peterson’s sister, however, her influence in the 1976 uprising sought to serve a student community who were denied access to an education that they rightfully deserved. She became one of those leaders who was fondly discussed in many urban legends amongst mindful youth where the focus of her involvement was not on how she raised her fist in defiance of the laws, or the image of her crying at the sight of her brother’s death but rather that she sought to continue to serve her community through her life and that is what set her apart as a leader.

It is leadership through service, that should be the loudest voice. A voice, which stands proudly by our values and stands up for, fights for, and defends everything that makes us who we are, the St Mary’s community. It is this ethos, which we seek to impart on our students, as leaders, where effective leadership is one of service as opposed to one which relies on the loudest voice.

PHUTHI MOGALE
DEPUTY HEADMISTRESS