By ‘Maleruo Leponesa
The milestone celebration also marked the official announcement of Gadra Matric School’s (GMS) new permanent home at 1 Gowie Street!
The announcement was made at the school’s recent Annual General Meeting, an event that brought together alumni, partners, and key figures to reflect on Gadra’s 30-year journey. Since its founding in 1994, on the cusp of South Africa’s democratic transition, Gadra has been instrumental in improving matric results and widening access to higher education for thousands of learners.
Margie Keeton, who was nominated as Treasurer for Life during the Meeting, offered a powerful recollection of the school’s origins. She described how Gadra was born from a community request in 1994 and built on the legacy of three generations of women in her family. “From its very first breath, GMS has been built on a powerful foundation,” she said.
Keeton paid tribute to her grandmother’s early vision and her mother’s hands-on role in establishing what would become a transformative institution. “By being asked to speak here and to share a little bit about her contributions to Gadra and education, I hope it might light the path going forward. My mother was driven by a number of impulses, and her work, from preschool to tertiary level, was truly transformational for education in Makhanda.”
She explained that it was only when her family moved to Makhanda in 1975 that her mother was able to put these ambitions into action. At the time, local educational opportunities for Black learners were dire. “There was one high school that wrote matric exams, and it had a pass rate of just 20%. The prospects for the majority of children in our town were not promising.”
One of her mother’s key interventions was a bursary programme. “As Radio reminded us at the Meeting, it all started with bursaries,” Keeton said. “He spoke movingly of the one he received from my mother to attend Rhodes University. In total, she facilitated more than 15,000 bursaries— most in Makhanda and some further afield. That is truly remarkable.”
Beyond financial aid, her mother supported initiatives such as the maths and science winter school, payment of matric and book fees, provision of school supplies, Saturday matric school, and a commercial college. “These were all interventions aimed at restoring dignity and access, and they laid the foundations for what became Gadra Matric School.”
Gadra principal Tim Haksley also addressed the Meeting, acknowledging the school’s continued growth as the product of sustained collaboration. “We are deeply grateful for the partnerships between Gadra and families, between students and teachers, with donors, with the Department of Education, with Rhodes University, and with our local schools. These are not just administrative relationships, they’re the bedrock of a healthy, integrative society.” He also apologised for any names he may have omitted in his tribute.
Rhodes University and local schools. Photo: ‘Maleruo Leponesa
One of the day’s most emotional speeches came from Kwesi Mqoboli, a 2012 Gadra alumnus. “I’m where I am today because of this very institution,” he said. Mqoboli was born and raised in a small town in the Eastern Cape and said that his initial matric results did not qualify him for university. Gadra gave him a second chance.
He now holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences from Rhodes University and a postgraduate qualification from Princeton University. He is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa and works at SMEC South Africa, a consulting engineering company. He provides legal support to the Africa, Middle East and Pakistan (AMEP) region. “I could not thank Gadra enough,” he said. “It gave me hope when I had none.”
Since 1994, 4,042 students have enhanced their matric results through GMS. The school supports over 300 learners annually and, since 2010, has achieved 1,745 Bachelor’s passes and facilitated 798 enrolments at Rhodes University. By 2025, one in every 28 Rhodes graduates will be a GMS alumnus.
.
