Injongo Primary wins national choral competition

There were scenes of jubilation as parents, teachers and community members welcomed back the triumphant Injongo Primary School choir who took the top prize at the ABC Motsepe National Choral school competition held in Johannesburg last week.

The school’s choir beat eight other schools from different provinces to win first prize which included a trophy and R10 000.

School principal, Sithembile Mhletywa, said the win meant a lot to the school, particularly as they had not been able to compete for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said in 2019 they won the provincial competition and took third place at the national contest.

He explained that the preparation for the competition started as early as January and that they were grateful for the unwavering support from parents.

“We were not there to add numbers but to make our mark and we have done so. I must thank parents again because going to the national stage is not a small thing because it demands a lot from them as they have to dig deeper in their pockets to fund some of their needs.

“I’m extremely happy that we got what we deserved after putting in so much effort. This is a victory not only for the school but for Khayelitsha and the province. We have junior choirs also who are placed at position 2 at provincial level competition,” he said.

Parent, Thandiwe Mbuthuma, said she was excited that the school had won and they, as parents, had done all they could to ensure that the children got all they needed to succeed.

Pupil Anathi Major, said every member of the choir had wanted to win the competition so that they could continue putting their school on the map.

However, he said, he froze when they were announced the winners, because he could not believe they had won.

He thanked their parents, teachers and peers for all their support.

Parent Bonelwa Zozi said what the children had achieved was beyond their imagination and she wished them an even brighter future.