Griffcats Tutor Centre holds memorial service for young learner

Tears, hugs, and words of sympathy filled the atmosphere at Griffcats Tutor Centre in Rynfield on March 19 as facilitators and classmates of Kgosi Malatjie (7) gathered to honour his life during a memorial service held at the centre.

Kgosi was among the schoolchildren, Khethelo Zulu (9), Hlompo Mofokeng (8), and Lubanzi Nhlapo (7), who lost their lives on March 10 when the scholar transport they were traveling in was involved in a fatal accident near the Putfontein off-ramp.

The owner of the centre, Eileen Griffiths, said that Kgosi’s passing was a shock and had left a deep void in the hearts of those who knew him.

“We’ve got only 30 learners at the tutor centre, and in his grade, there were just three. When one learner is missing, it’s a big thing because we are a family, and we do everything together,” she said.

Griffiths said that Kgosi was always happy, loved to learn, and was enthusiastic about coming to the centre.

“Every Friday, he would excitedly run out of the transport, waving his R20 and saying, ‘Hotdog, hotdog!’ We haven’t had hotdog day since his passing.

“We just wanted to do something so that the children could get some closure. Our theme was a rainbow because we wanted to remember him in a happy way. A rainbow is colourful, pretty, and comes after the rain, the rain being the tears.”

Two of his classmates sang a song about a rainbow, while other children read messages as Kgosi’s uncle and aunt, Jacob Rapolai and Thabitha Matsimela, emotionally looked on.

Kgosi’s facilitator, Chipo Mapohda, said the seven-year-old, who joined the school in January, was brave, always happy, clever, and respectful.

The seven-year-old was buried on March 15 in Limpopo.

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