Benny’s builds with prize money

THE South African Schools Football Association (Sasfa), representatives of the departments of education, sport, arts and culture gathered at Benny’s Care Sports Development Academy on Friday for the unveiling of their newly renovated buildings.

The renovations were done with prize money won by the school’s soccer team after they emerged as the provincial winners of the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup in 2010, 2012 and 2013.

Benny’s, from Makhado, was granted R100 000 for each year they won, totalling R300 000. The school used the money to renovate the school’s hostels, purchase material to build bunk beds, renovated the school hall and also had enough money left to purchase 186 desks.

The academy was also crowned the provincial Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup champion on Saturday at the Seshego Stadium.

Nqobile Nsidane, the school principal, said they had chosen to spend their prizes on projects that would benefit the current and future learners of the school. “We now have a hall that can accommodate more than 300 people.

“Before this our hall could only take 50 people, which created problems when we held parents meetings as they could not fit into the old hall,” he said.

“We are extremely grateful to Sanlam and the Motsepe Foundation for sponsoring this tournament, which not only benefits the school but also the community,” Nsidane said.

Nsidane explained that the school opened its doors in 2004 with the aim of uplifting learners from the community and help them both academically and in sport.

He further said the academy had had some success in getting players into PSL teams. Thabelo Mulaudzi, who played for the school in 2012, is now with SuperSport United FC and Lloyd Tabane plays for Black Aces FC while Wiseman Maluleke was part of the 2010 and 2011 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup team and now plays for Jomo Cosmos FC.