Thamsanqa Kambule

Kambule was born in Aliwal North.[1] His mother died when he was 18 months old, and his aunt was responsible for raising him.[2] He did not attend school until he was 11 years old, when he joined Anglican St Peter's School in Johannesburg.[1] He completed a Teachers Diploma at Adams College in 1946 and a bachelor's degree at the University of South Africa in 1954.[3]

Kambule taught in Zambia, Malawi as well as several schools in South Africa before being appointed Principal of Orlando High School in Soweto in 1958.[1] He campaigned to ensure the children had the best education possible, despite the restrictions of the Bantu Education Act, 1953.[1] Orlando High School had a library named after Robert Birley, a visiting professor at the University of the Witwatersrand.[1] He led the Rand Bursary Fund, a support program that provided scholarships for pupils in need.[1] The fund allowed more than 1,000 students to complete high school.[4] His former pupils included Desmond Tutu and Jackie Selebi.[5] In 1976 during the Soweto uprising, the schoolchildren revolted against being forced to learn in the Afrikaans language.[6] An undetermined number of children were shot dead by police, and education in townships fell apart.[7] Kambule resigned in 1977 to protest against the Department of Bantu Education, and became the head of Pace College.[1]

In 1978 he joined the University of the Witwatersrand, where he became the first black professor.[3][8] He published a series of maths textbooks for non-specialist teachers.[2] He retired in 1976 and promptly became the Principal of O R T Step College of Technology.[2] He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1997 and a doctorate of education in 2006.[5] In 2002 he was awarded the Order of the Baobab from Thabo Mbeki.[5][9] He became known as the Rock for his transparent principles.[10]

Kambule died on 7 August 2009.[11] He was a much loved teacher, and his former students Siphiwe Nyanda, Felicia Mabuza-Suttle and Mokotedi Mpshe attended his memorial service.[4][12][13] His student Trevor Mdaka was his doctor at the Unitas Hospital in Centurion.[13]