POLOKWANE – From humble beginnings as the son of a taxi owner in the old Pietersburg, local former teacher Solly Hassen is indeed a colourful character who still impresses with his command of the Afrikaans language and knowledge of the history of the city, dating back for eight decades.

Hassen (78) was born in the then Pietersburg, where he spent the first years of his life in the family home in Bok Street until he moved to Nirvana in 1970.

He attended Pietersburg lndian and Coloured School and passed matric in 1966.

His passion for the Afrikaans language led him to further studies and he was subsequently appointed as senior Afrikaans teacher where he taught HOD Languages since 1970.

He is a Unisa graduate with majors in Afrikaans Nederlands, and was later promoted to the position of Principal of the prestigious Taxila Secondary School, where he served until his retirement in 2007, a tenure of nearly four decades.

Hassen also had a stint on television when he appeared on the TV programme ‘Maak ‘n Las’ twice and also on MNet and KykNet and hosted his own programme on Radio Jacaranda with Wessel Cronjé for six years.

Not ready to retire yet, Hassen provides Afrikaans tuition to learners from Gr 8-12 and he is extremely proud of the distinctions that his matriculants obtained.

“I saw Pietersburg growing from a ‘small dorpie’ to the bustling city to the aspiring metro that we know now and can still remember the dusty streets of Pietersburg during the sixties. Beacons of the old Pietersburg such as the Empire and Astra bioscopes as well as the old town hall and police station are not with us any more and I still carry fond memories of the Indian shops on Market Street and African Stores that is now Irish House,” Hassen adds.

Other landmarks were Baker & Roos General Dealer, Norman’s Hardware and Baker’s Garage under the management of Len Baker’s father who only drove British Jaguars.

“The taxis in old Pietersburg were cars, not kombis and my dad was a taxi owner driving 1936 model Plymouths and Pontiacs and 1948 Chevrolets. The 1956 Chevrolet was the most beautiful car in the world,” Hassen recalls.

“Kan jy glo, die huurmotors was slegs toegelaat om nie-blankes te vervoer,” Hassen commented in choice Afrikaans. “Brandstof het in 1970 slegs 9c ‘n liter gekos en R5 se brandstof kon my Johannesburg toe en terug geneem het.”

Hassen purchased his first car for R500 and in 1970 could buy a pair of smart Grasshopper shoes for R9.50 and a grand Man About Town Suit for R29.95.

“I look back at a life well blessed through the mercy of the Almighty God, blessed with thousands of friends from all racial groups and often come across many of my former pupils, who are now well-established lawyers, doctors, civil engineers, teachers etc,” Hassen proudly concluded.

Hassen is married to Shahida and the couple has two children, Shaheema and Ismail.