TOUCH, the simplest of gestures, ignited the flame of hope in late Archbishop Dennis Hurley which led to him founding Kwa Thintwa School for the Deaf.
If Bhekani Dube had not walked into a mass hosted by Archbishop Hurley at a rural parish in 1981, the hundreds of pupils that now attend the school would suffer in their silence.
To pay homage to both Bhekani and Archbishop Hurley, a statue was commissioned and placed on the school grounds and was unveiled for the first time last Friday morning.
“I am so overwhelmed with the response we received for the unveiling of the statue of our founder and co-founder today,” said the school’s principal, Mavis Naidoo. She then regaled the audience with the heart-warming tale of the first meeting of Bhekani and Archbishop Hurley. “When Bhekani walked up to Archbishop Dennis Hurley and touched him, the archbishop began to speak to him but when Bhekani did not reply, only then did he realise he was deaf. He then wondered what he could do for the boy’s outspoken desire to communicate. This led to the founding of the school.”
“The statue was chosen to be placed at the school as it is where his heart lay and I am convinced that it is here at this school,” said Mavis.
The name of the school translates to the “place of being touched” with its motto meaning “touched by the spirit we hear.”
The unveiling ceremony was a lavish affair and each guest was treated as a VIP, with personal greetings from both staff and pupils to being treated to a welcoming parade by the school’s drum majorettes.
Bhekani’s mother, Alsina, and Mikaela York, the niece of Archbishop Hurley held the honour of unveiling the statue and it was later blessed by Cardinal Wilfred Napier. The premier, Senzo Mchunu, was also in attendance at the ceremony and offered kind words of praise to the staff and pupils of the school.
Kwa Thintwa School for the Deaf currently boasts a 100 per cent matric pass rate for the last three years and, according to the principal, it is due to the staff’s utter commitment to the pupils that has led them to achieve this. “If you plant a seed it will not grow on its own, but our staff at this school are geared towards ensuring the seeds bear fruit. I believe that Archbishop Dennis Hurley’s legacy will live on through our school,” said Mavis.
