EXPLORE THE HISTORY OF KALAHARI

Mr Fanie Botha always placed the best interests of learners at Seodin first and was never afraid to challenge the education authorities when necessary. This became most evident when he personally employed a teacher, at his own expense, to teach Grade 9 learners without departmental approval. At the time, education laws prevented learners from remaining in the hostel after Grade 8, but Mr. Botha refused to abandon them. Together with the school board, he arranged for classes to continue—during the day in a garage and at night in the hostel lounge—ensuring that education for these learners did not come to an end. He firmly believed that obstacles were stepping stones to success and continued to fight for the establishment of a high school in Seodin, despite opposition from some community members and farmers who did not yet recognize the value of further education.

His persistence paid off in 1924 when permission was granted to retain that year’s Grade 8 class as the foundation of a future high school. In 1929, Kalahari High School officially opened in Seodin with 97 learners and four teachers. Two years later, a school hall seating approximately 700 people was built with a £1,000 contribution from the department. A long-held dream had become reality—Seodin Primary School and Kalahari High School standing side by side on the historic stone grounds of Seodin, where the vision and dedication of Mr. Fanie Botha continue to live on.