Durban High School recently held their annual Senior Speech Day & Prize-Giving Ceremony for the Grade 12 learners.
Head Master, Mr Leon Erasmus, delivered a passionate speech which highlighted the School’s incredible successes over the past year.
The invited guest speaker for the event was Mr Luvuyo Mandela (Class of 2003), great-grandson of Nelson Mandela. Luvuyo gave an intellectual and insightful speech, drawing on his experience of stepping up and out of one’s comfort zone. “It is important to know where you are going, but plans can change, so be open to new experiences; you may find a brand new passion like I did,” he said.
Luvuyo Mandela was invited to hand over the awards to the Grade 12 achievers. The ceremony saw a number of awards handed out, including Grade 12 Academic prizes, with the major awards being the highlight.
Achievers who stood out at the event were as follows:
Steven Waites, who was award the Kessel Feinstein prize for placing third in Grade 12, the A W McIver Prize for History, a Merit Certificate and shared the Prize for Life Orientation;
Hassen Moorad, who won the GB Lapinsky Prize for Dux Proxime Accessit (runner up to Dux), the Eddie Corlett Prize for Accounting, Buxton Family Prize for Economics, the W I Knight Prize for Mathematics and shared the Transvaal Old Boys’ Prize for English Essay;
Hlumelo Mekuto, who won the Christopher Wells Award for Excellence in Sport & Culture and was named the All Round Sports Achiever of the Year;
Matthew Hamilton who received the Sportsman of the Year Award;
Deputy Head Prefect, Libo Mngomezulu, who received the Prize for English Poetry as well as the Patel Family Award for RCL Chairman;
Head Prefect, Mvumeleni Mathenjwa, who received the Transvaal Old Boys’ Award (Head Prefect, Blackmore House), George Armstrong Award (Head Prefect, School), Geoff Mace Award for Excellence in Academics, Sport & Culture, Innocent Chamane Prize for IsiZulu First Additional Language, as well as the Head Master’s Award, the first of its kind at DHS, which consisted of R10 000 in cash.
The final award of the day had the audience on their feet as they gave a standing ovation for the major prize winner of the ceremony – Joshua Spooner – who was awarded the CG Hands Memorial Prize for Dux. Joshua has achieved nothing less than a final mark of 90% every year since Grade 8. He was also awarded the Shaun Gray Leadership Award, a Merit Certificate, the Alan Turton prize for Visual Arts, the Niekie Gerber Prize for Afrikaans First Additional Language, the Bill Payn Prize for English Home Language, the GJ Armstrong Prize for Physical Sciences and shared the Ladies Committee Prize for Visual Arts Practical. In addition to his Academic achievements, Joshua was also involved in numerous sporting activities throughout his school career and was Deputy Head Prefect for 2016.
Head Prefect for 2016, Mvumeleni Mathenjwa, then gave a heart-warming and moving speech before handing over the reigns to Head Prefect for 2017, Phendulani Buthelezi, who Mvumeleni then helped into his new Head Prefect blazer.
DHS Head Master, Leon Erasmus congratulated the learners and ended by thanking them for making the 150th year one to be remembered for years to come.
