In honour of Nelson Mandela’s legacy, the Westgate team spent their 67 minutes giving back to Westridge High School.

Volunteers from the shopping centre, together with Universal Paint and members of the Roodepoort police, arrived at the school early on the Friday morning, July 17, armed with paint, brushes and big smiles as they set out to give two computer laboratories much-needed renovations.

Working together, the teams gave both computer laboratories a fresh coat of paint using colours donated by Universal Paint, ensuring learners returned for the third term to bright, welcoming and refreshed classrooms ready for use.

“We honoured the call that was made by Madiba, which asks individuals and organisations to step up and make a tangible difference in the lives of others.

“It is important for us to give back to the community that we serve because Westgate is for the community, and we need to take care of those around us. We therefore heeded the call to our present stakeholders to help renovate our local school,” said the centre’s marketing manager, Thabo Khumalo.

Westridge High principal Vuyo Mkhwanazi welcomed the renovations, saying they would create a more inviting learning environment and have a positive impact on both learners and educators.

“The labs were not in a good state, and we appreciate what they’ve done for the school, ensuring that it becomes better than it is. We hope this partnership that has started today will continue in the future and ultimately help rebrand the school,” he said.

In addition to the renovations, Westgate donated soccer kits to Westridge, Princess High School and Kagiso Secondary School.

Thabo said the donation formed part of the shopping centre’s Fifa World Cup campaign, which aims to create an exciting Bafana Bafana-inspired experience while encouraging greater participation in sport at schools.