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articles

A WORLD RATTLED

A WORLD RATTLED

 

The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in our country was reported on the 5th of March 2020. The mass media disclosed that a 38 year old male arrived back from Italy into South Africa with his wife and a group of ten other people. Further information shared was that he consulted a private general practitioner with symptoms of fever, a sore throat, headache and a cough. This consultation was made on the 7th of March, we were told.

 

I had just been elected as the Chairperson of JORETA Diepkloof Area three months before the onset of this deadly infectious disease, caused by the SARS-COV-2 virus as diagnosed by healthcare scientists.

On the morning of the 14th of March 2020, we woke up to the death notice of one of our own, Ms Elizabeth Molewa (not COVID related). This death occurred nine days after the COVID epidemic was reported. At this stage, none of us had a clue about how deadly COVID was.

 

The Executive Committee promptly proceeded to arrange a memorial service for the deceased. It was held on the 19th of March 2020, four days after the National State of Disaster was declared by Government. This commemorative service was held at her house in Diepkloof Extension. It was a full house, members of the Diepkloof Executive Committee, the GEC (Mother Body) including the Co-ordinator of Hospitality at MB; Mrs Queen Makhubo, were in attendance.

We were singing hymns as speaker after speaker paid tribute by outpouring of love, respect and admiration for the departed member and mostly for family. After the service, the entire Executive team and members were invited to have refreshments at Mrs Thepi Ribisi’s home. A neighbour of Mrs Molewa and a member of the Diepkloof Area.

The entire membership of JORETA, including friends and relatives of the family, had no face masks on, our mouths were not covered throughout the day.

 

A nationwide lockdown was enforced on the 27th of March 2020. The wearing of a face mask became mandatory. I was later horrified to learn that the spread of COVID-19 was mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Therefore, wearing a face mask was a prevention measure to limit transmission, but none of us had a face mask on during that memorial service.

 

Someone might say we acted recklessly and irresponsibly. The truth of the matter was that very little was known then, about COVID-19. The Johannesburg Retired Teachers Association is an older persons formation. This has evidently showed that we are a vulnerable group. Our Government needs to be sensitized to our needs. When we find ourselves in such a catastrophe, Government needs to send a clear message to us; warning of the looming danger and this should be done promptly and unambiguously.

 

We were brought together to that first COVID era memorial service, subsequently to the funeral on the 22nd of March 2020; by our pledge as it is contained in our constitution, that we shall render care and support, reach out in comfort during bereavement to our members. What we should be conscious of, is not to do that to the detriment of our health.

 

The novel COVID-19 Corona Virus spread like wildfire around the world. It was harsh and unrelenting. Wrecking havoc in many families worldwide. Yes, death is an inevitable part of life, but it became painful for many to bear witness to an overabundance of loss. Some families were completely wiped off. COVID left us with holes in our hearts, JORETA was not spared, the association lost close to fourty members.

 

 

Finally, it remains a mystery that none of the members who attended the Molewa memorial service and funeral were infected by COVID. Glory be to God!

 

 

Mrs B Mabalane – Kgositsile

Diepkloof Area.

babydkgosi@gmail.com 

articles

21st Century Thought Leadership

“A 21st Century thought leader sees networks and interconnections that are not obvious to the rest of us, explains those connections and networks in terms that the rest of us can grasp and advocates for action based on the bigger picture.” (Jeff Mcintre – Strasburg founder and editor Sustainblog)

Joreta as an organization with a large membership is challenged to have leadership that is in tune with the times and dynamic enough to can embrace 21st Century thought leadership in order to can establish formidable teams that would leverage upon the talent of members that are not necessarily in leadership structures in order to advance the success of the organisation in all of its objectives.

The essence of Thought Leadership includes amongst others;

  • Joint effective visioning
  • Valuing the person
  • Compassion
  • Inspiration
  • Handling conflicts in a constructive manner
  • Building commitment
  • Collaborative thinking and constructive teamwork
  • Collective focus
  • Acknowledging talents of others
  • Showcasing the talents of others in the best interest of the organisation

It is therefore reasonable to conclude that for the sustainability of Joreta beyond our lifetime and for the benefit of our individual personal growth in navigating our twilight years it would be unwise to ignore the importance of the salient prescripts of “21st Century Thought Leadership” in our organisation.

By Linda Zabala

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FLOOR THRASHING

The bearded men dance

and writhe with agony

mystical body movements

to the sound of vibrant drums.

Oh! My people

Who told you to repent

in a song of praise?

 

The priest bellows in his priest-craft

while some rolling, kneeling

and striking the ground.

My people want the road to happiness

the evil things that are here

will set with the sun in the west

Listen, as from today,bellows the priest…

Our souls and homesteads

are purified

Oh! Let childbirth come

let the cries of our children be heard.

The doors to happiness are open

Open to swallow my people

Let’s break the silence

to the hereafter.

A moment of freedom

comes to the limbs

and the babbling of tongues.

This moment of vision comes

 every Sunday.

Will my people ever

 reach heavens door?

Whispers of barbarism

and madness drip

from the lips of the civilised.

 

Come, let us sing the song of praise

Come along let us beat

the drums of praise.

Come, let us take the long

straight strides to happiness.

My people are on their way

 to happiness every Sunday afternoon.

 

MKEI S. MTHEMBI

articles

EDUCATION AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN SOUTH AFRICA

 DR. F.M RAMUSI

1 INTRODUCTION

As I write this article, education in South Africa is in real crisis. The school as a learning organisation does not exist in a vacuum; it should be seen as part of larger society. Much has changed in within the education system in South Africa since the advent of our democratic government. Central to the changes is a compelling need for the redefinition of education itself. Education is shaped by society while it is simultaneously shapes society. The system of Basic Education has passed through a period of rapid transformation. The educational environment of the new social order is radically different from that of the past decades. This difference has become more prominent in the education system over the past twenty-nine crucial years. Change is not static but dynamic. According to Harding (1995:1), the turbulent educational landscape is messy and unpredictable and creates a tension between stability and the unknown. There remain many issues unresolved that require urgent attention within the education system with the view to find solutions. Currently, there is a huge disjuncture between the system of education and the demands of labour market, which are imperative for education and social change.

Against this background, the objective of this article is to highlight the educational challenges specifically within South African schools. The changes that were ushered by democracy indicate how enduring change can significantly influence the system of education. The second purpose of this article is to draw attention to the national policy makers of the day that it has now become a competing prerequisite to overhaul the entire educational system. In my view, schools must be, changed to become effective and dynamic sites of learning and teaching. Education must foster a learning climate that encourages questions, feedback, experimentation and passion for continuous growth and development. An effective system of education needs to produce students with appropriate skills and knowledge that will enable them to gain a competitive edge, and enhance their standing in today’s global competition. Fundamentally, every learning institution is unique and thus needs to adapt continuously to produce critical thinkers. It seems to me that this may not possibly happen unless the system of education is radically transformed to meet to the rapidly changing global environments.

Evidently, therefore, the challenges facing the current crop of learners and students alike are more complex and multi-faceted which require well-calculated strategies. At the heart of the challenges is that the present education lacks quality, there are various factors that contribute towards these, which require urgent solutions.  Unfortunately, unequal provision of economic and human resources including the physical infrastructure, lack of media centres, science laboratories and computers continues unabated. This scenario emanates from the fact that historically disadvantaged black schools are suffering similar crisis in the new dispensation. The provision of these learning facilities is extremely essential in order to address the challenges. Within the context of South Africa, changes in the education system are closely bound up with wider social and political changes. Education is never neutral, that is why it can bring about social change. The system of education in South Africa must be completely overhauled. Fundamentally, the philosophy of education must be adapted to suit the new democratic dispensation. The system of education requires radical reforms, innovations, new technologies, and possible ways of coping with these issues through new strategies. Largely, this will depend on the will and commitment of the present policy makers and other relevant stakeholders. The government of the day needs an effective enduring desire, the passion and compassion to make positive impacts on the social changes.  

 

Extensive research reveals that high dropout rate are recorded wherein primary school learners leave school much earlier and thus fall into illiteracy. Most learners in these grades do not reach beyond Grade 7 and become a lost generation. Again, the vast majority are found amongst black communities. Those who are promoted to Grade 8 seem to be unable to comprehend what they read or write. The alarming dropout rate requires substantial political policy, courage, and organisation.  Unemployment by the majority of the black parents and unskilled labourers is also a contributory factor because a vast majority of particularly black learners cannot access education .The quality of teaching and learning within our primary schools leaves much to be desired especially in mathematics and science .Ironically, the issue of competence in these subjects in South Africa has shown that a major weakness lies within teacher’s content knowledge .In this regard; many teachers possess insufficient foundational knowledge to enable to teach effectively. Taylor and Vinelvold (1999; 142 ) state that this acts as a major inhibit to teaching and learning in the classroom .Evidently, there should be radical training and retraining programmes that will focus on developing the competencies required in the workforce especially in these fields of the curriculum. The country seriously requires teacher development in academic and professional upgrade, those who will be future focused and be able to prepare learners that will be ready to meet the challenges facing the country. There is a dire need for a national policy to implement a programme of upgrading academic and professional qualifications, growth and development that will address the challenges the turbulence and the scarcity of required skills  

Notwithstanding the remarkable changes in South Africa since the inception of the new dispensation in 1994, the country’s education is still confronted with serious challenges in many of our public institutions especially those in historically black areas. Education is, indeed, a terrain for competing political, economic and ideological interests. To a great, extend these aspects form a large scale either of factors that affect positively or negatively to the nature of society. The type of management leadership in our learning institutions is one of the significant challenges. Given the complexity of our education system and the environment in which it exists, a new kind of leadership and management is urgently required. There is a dire need for committed educational leaders who can manage schools during these times of chaos, flux, uncertainty and complexity.   Leadership and management need to be given equal prominence if schools are to operate effectively to achieve their objectives. Our schools desperately need effective educational leadership that can manage within their new the quality and rapidly changing environment and responsibilities those who can add value to the quality of education. The quality of teaching and moral force or character is a compelling prerequisite.

2 CONCLUSION

In Conclusion, the many challenges that continue to exist in the majority of our schools must be urgently addressed. The challenges must be conceived as critical issues that require urgent attention to be resolved within schools by individuals, teams and society as a whole. They pose enormous challenges for society and will probably continue in future.  It is imperative that political and economic forces, which shape educational decisions, be changed before our education is expected to be transformed. Every school’s vision must address the mismatch between what they are teaching. The strategic plans and national policies must form the base for viability and meaningful change. The school management and leadership must therefore, continuously strive to improve the working conditions within schools. There should be quality teaching and learning embedded in the strategic focus of every institution. Continuous development and learning needs to create a strategic alignment with and atonement to local and global competition. Unless the state of the current education system is radically transformed, the future of South Africa is going to remain bleak, which will be absurd. The operative words in this article are change, acceleration and adaptation.   

 

                                                                                   I thank you!

Pimville

Pimville

MOMOJAMA

MOMOJAMA

Momojama Area

Background Information

Initially, the area was called “Moroka” because most members were from the Moroka Area. As time went by, other members from Molapo, Mapetla, Jabavu joined the area; therefore, the area is now called Momojama. All this took place around 1986.

Members who started the area were 17 in number, and held their meetings on a rotational basis. The aim was to know where each of them was staying. The starting time was 9H00, which was the time used for learning (e.g., serviette folding, making flowers, health education, etc.), and then the meeting would start at 10H00.

Finance

Contributions were made as follows: R10.00 was contributed towards deaths and it later increased to R30.00 a member and R15.00 for a spouse. Monies were not banked but kept by Ms. Zulu Mildred and made it available when needed. The money amounted to R8000.00 (Eight thousand rands only), of which they decided to open a bank account. Ms. M Zulu was thanked for her honesty and trustworthiness in keeping the money safe.

General Membership

To attract members to the area, existing members had to create an environment where people were comfortable, shared thoughts and ideas, and ensured that everyone was treated equally and had a sense of belonging. Members pledged to strive for excellence and have best practices for the sake of ”Joreta”.

Executive members were urged to be supportive to all members, service all members equally, give direction where possible, and enable the ordinary to be extraordinary. During the period of review, Momojama managed to register 26 (Plus) members from Jabuzomdeni (Jabulani, Zondi, Emndeni) which led to a significant growth of the area. Currently, the membership stands at 102.

Sadly, some members have since passed on, and we still fondly hold them in our hearts.

Meetings

Area meetings are held every first Monday of the month in Rockville Methodist church, where we all contribute towards affiliation, replacements, petty cash, etc. Other activities include voluntary contribution for birthdays, Mother’s day, Father’s day, cultural day, tours, memorial service, funeral attendance in the area and outside the area.

Meadowlands

Meadowlands Area

Meadowlands

The purpose of this write-up is to inform new members how we started as an area. The reason for this is to leave an accurate report for new area members.

We conducted our research by asking older members how they organized themselves. The older members were made up of a range of official and ordinary old members. As an area, we also do not want people to have myths about JORETA as well as the area.

At the dawn of the twentieth century, JORETA was established (1989). Mrs. Suzane Mophosho served in the executive of the mother body from its inception. She was a devoted member very active and healthy for her age. She served in the executive until the turn of the century.

Mrs. S. Mophosho was the first chairman of the Meadowlands area. She was among those who met some retired white teachers and got tips on how to start their own retired teachers organization. She knew her purpose, potential, and the importance of releasing it.

She used to say the power to be successful lies within you. Once you begin to step to another level, don’t ever take a step backward. She branded herself well, showed character, integrity, talent, knowledge, passion, and commitment. She knew that what you do for others remains a legacy.

After Mrs. Mophosho, there came a lady by the name of Fredda Maake who took over as chairman of the area around 2003. These were very quiet times in the area until another lady by the name of Tshidi Ditshego took over as chairman around 2012. During this time, Mrs. Joyœ Buku recruited Mthernbi to join the Meadowlands area.

Meadowlands had a sparsity of the male species; even now, the situation is still the same with only five males to date. In 2017, a new chairman was elected by the name of Samuel Mthembi. According to the members, leaders come and go, whereas the organization lives forever.

Mr. Mthembi was the first male member of the Meadowlands area followed by Mr. Thys Khuu’utlu. Mthembi had the belief that leaders establish a framework of expectations that society should have of them. They set the bar for future leaders, becoming a reference point for future generations of what it means to be a leader.

This executive came up with an area burial policy which may be improved or written afresh, as areas do need policies to run their areas properly.

After Mthembi’s leadership, there followed a feminist leadership led by Mrs. Eugenia Makoela. Times change, and Mrs. Makoela used to say be a pioneer, refuse to live in the holding, add value to your organization, strive to stand head and shoulders above the rest; success is not accidental. You prepare for it. I can, and together we can make a huge difference. That is the spirit in the Meadowlands area.

Network and not work as an island. Accept that there is no shortcut to the higher level of excellence. I quote; “One study found 350 definitions of leadership…there is no correct definition for leadership” – Bennis and Nanus 1985.

After Eugenia’s leadership, a male leadership took over by the name of Lawrence Mthombeni. Transformation in transition in 2023, and we expect a lot from this committee. That is the spirit in the Meadowlands area.

In confusion, please do look into our additional information to change.

Compiled by Mkei S. MTHEMBI.

Additional Information to Change

Meadowlands Transformation Through or dramatic change

The following impacted on Meadowlands transformation

  • The Change Leader
  • Five essential components that characterize change leaders:

    1. Moral Purpose.
    2. Understanding change.
    3. Improving relationships.
    4. Knowledge creation and sharing.
    5. Coherence making.

“This is your time, and the giant in you is becoming impatient with mediocrity!!!

Suburban

THE SUBURBAN AREA

The Suburban Area

  1. The Establishment of the Suburban Area

    The Suburban Area, conceived by the late Dr. SK Matseke, emerged to unite scattered members in the Southern and Eastern suburbs. Eldorado Park later joined to increase numbers.

  2. Total Membership

    The initial members included Dr. S.K. Matseke, Mesdames M. Makhene, O. Ntshalintshali, C. Fisher, G. Rossouw, Nkhi, W. Amod, and Mr. Mahupela. The current membership is 112.

  3. The First Meetings of the Area

    Initial meetings were informal, held at Dr. Matseke’s residence. Mesdames Makhene and Ntshalintshali became office bearers. As numbers grew, the need for a formal venue arose.

  4. Subsequent Area Meetings

    Meetings moved to Mondeor Recreational Civic Centre in 2014, held monthly until March 2020. After the COVID-19 shutdown, Terra Serena Ministries in Kibler Park became the new venue.

  5. Current Venue for Area Meetings

    Meetings now take place on Wednesdays at Terra Serena Ministries to accommodate women attending prayer meetings on Thursdays.

  6. Condolences to Deceased Members’ Families and Memorial Services

    When a member passes away, condolences are provided. Schools or community halls host memorial services. A Bereavement Policy, effective from September 2021, guides financial support.

  7. Suburbs Forming the Area

    The Area includes members from Eldorado Park, Ennerdale, Lenasia, Zakkarya Park, Kibler Park, and various other suburbs in Southern and Eastern regions.

  8. Sponsorships

    Terra Serena Ministries provides the meeting venue. The Area pays R500.00 per month for cleaning. Contributions are made for the car guard. Banners are displayed during events.

  9. Clusters

    Divided into six Clusters with leaders to coordinate activities, visit the sick, and communicate with the Executive Committee. Cluster leaders conduct devotions at Area meetings.

  10. Activities

    Members celebrate birthdays, and special events like Octogenarian celebrations, Mothers’ and Fathers’ Days, National Women’s’ Day, and Heritage Day are organized by committees.

  11. Committees

    Committees established include Bereavement, Culture, Hospitality, Tours, Disciplinary, and Editorial. The current Executive consists of Mr. Ramoshaba, Ms. Thandi Motau, Mr. Eddie Nkomo, Mr. Bopape, and Mr. Pule Mashego.

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JORETA PARTICIPATES IN eNCA DISCUSSION

We the Nation: JORETA Participates in eNCA Discussion – October 11, 2023

Background: South Africa faces a shortage of highly skilled teachers, especially in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). With only 15,000 new teachers graduating yearly, well below the required 25,000, and 18,000-22,000 teachers leaving the profession annually, addressing this crisis is imperative. JORETA, led by Mr. Ashley P Mojela, Ms. Ellen Mabusela, and Dr. Mduduzi Mathe, participated in a discussion with key figures from education and related sectors.

  • Participants:
    • Mr. Enoch Rabotapi: Chief Director DBE
    • Mr. Mugwena John Maluleke: General Secretary of SADTU
    • Ms. Nomsa Cembi: Media Officer SADTU
    • Mr. Matakanye Matakanya: General Secretary NASGB
    • Dr. Batseba Mbokane: Vice President AMESA & Wits Lecturer
    • Dr. Vlok: Teacher Training Representatives
    • Ms. Marina Van Zyl: MP DA ECD College Director
    • Ms. Nkanyezi Thabethe: Regional President COSAS SAOU
    • Trevor Noah Foundation Representatives (OLONA) FEDSAS

Topics Discussed:

  1. Looming Teacher Shortage in 2024:

    Highlighted the shortage of highly skilled STEM teachers and the oversupply of teachers in other fields. The discussion delved into teachers’ preferences for urban over rural schools and the need for improved conditions to retain skilled educators.

  2. Retirement of Teachers:

    Explored the factors contributing to the yearly departure of 22,000 teachers, including early retirement, socio-economic pressures, and challenges adapting to new educational demands like 4IR, Coding, and Robotics.

  3. Quality of Teachers:

    Discussed the impact of low teacher salaries, poor working conditions, and societal perceptions on attracting high achievers to the teaching profession. Emphasized the need for improved remuneration, policies against unruly behavior, and continuous professional development.

Conclusion:

Participants, including Mr. Ashley Mojela and Mr. Basil Manuel, stressed the need for drastic improvements in school conditions and increased government investment in Early Childhood Development (ECD). Mr. Mugwena Maluleke emphasized continuous support for teachers, better salaries, and specialized training in 4IR, Robotics, and Coding. The discussion concluded with a call for JORETA to play an active role in improving teaching and learning in township schools and mobilizing parents to be more involved.

Way Forward (JORETA):

JORETA’s General Chairperson urged the organization to be more relevant in improving teaching and learning in township schools. Ms. Ellen Mabusela and Dr. Mduduzi Mathe echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the organization’s potential contribution as experienced teachers. Informally, Mr. Matakanye Matakanya and Ms. Nkanyezi Thabethe highlighted the importance of mobilizing parents, teaching STEM subjects in indigenous languages, and creating violence-free learning environments.

DUMORLA

DUMORLA

Johannesburg retired teachers’ association.

JORETA – 1989.

Dube Mofolo Orlando East and West – DUMORLA – 2018.

Establishment of DUMORLA

It was established on the 18 November 2018, the executive members of the areas Dube, Mofolo, Orlando east and west met at Mrs Thembi Duma’s home number 6949 Phofolo street Orlando west. The meeting for the three areas was to merge the three areas. The general executive led by Mr Dan Lefoka came to give support in the merging so that it becomes official that three areas are one. That was the birth of DUMORLA.The first chairman was Mr. Simon Shongwe.

Membership

  1. Dube Mofolo = 16. Sixteen
  2. Orlando East = 22. Twenty-Two
  3. Orlando West = 17. Seventeen.

Total = 55

Where we meet currently

  • We meet at Ubuntu Kraal, (Orlando West)

When do we meet.

We meet first Monday of the month.

Current membership number.

  • We are seventy-two = 72.

Activities

  • Visiting our homebound members quarterly to give them feedback on the activities of JORETA.
  • DUMORLA members attend the JORETA members’ memorial services
  • In November we buy groceries to contribute to Inkanyezi Home for physically challenged children in Orlando West, then to Footprints Home in Orlando East.
  • Our homebound members receive tokens of appreciation at the end of the year.
  • In August DUMORLA celebrated woman’s month, members wore their gym clothes to do exercises organised by the wellness and culture coordinators. Music played was in line with the exercises.
  • The wellness coordinator,Corricenda Serero gave us a talk on health and herbs, the herbs were thyme, rosemary, plantain, sage and fennel .She explained to members about their benefits and how to use them for cooking and as herbal teas.
  • In April 2023 we celebrated with two of our octogenarians namely Ms Nana Sithebe and Ms Thoko Nhlabathi. This was a blessing to DUMORLA members, lunch was served in their honour.
  • At every area meeting we have one of us leading the devotions.
  • On the 5 October members will be celebrating everybody’s birthday at Gold Reef City, as part of fund-raising.
  • On the 10 April 2023 the tours committee organised a trip to Hartbeespoort dam.
  • Some of our members will be joining the JORETA tour to Namibia in November 2023.

Links with community structures

  • DUMORLA is linked to community structures like Inkanyezi and Footprints Homes.

We always check on the two community organisations to see how we can help them.

Sponsorship

  • None.

Fundraising drive

It is by way of organising outings e.g., Gold Reef and Hartbeespoort dam.

Area banners.

  • Two banners and a table cloth were bought from the proceeds of the area fundraising.

Poetry inputs.

  • DUMORLA was blessed to have a poet among us in the name of Ms Kesentseng Sibanda who swept our feet at the JORETA heritage celebration. Of 2023.09. 12.

The Poem.

Dumela DUMORLA

DUMORLA dumela.

Duma duma DUMORLA.

DUMORLA udume ngani.

Ngidume ngo DUMORLA. Dumela.

Dinatla, dikwankwetla, dikwakwariri di

Bonwa DUMORLA.

Diqi le dikwankwetla di ya utlawahala

Rolelang DUMORLA kgaebane

 ya senang sekaja mmae a tele.

Mesebetsi ya DUMORLA bonwa ke bohle,

Tsohle, e nkile sekgele.

Duduetsang, tumisang, halaletsang DUMORLA e nkile. Didimalang le uthwelle ditswerere.

Dumela DUMORLA, DUMORLA dumela.

Octogenarian function

In April 2023 we were blessed to have two of our members celebrating with other octogenarians organised by the greater JORETA also known as Mother Body.

Thought piece.

JORETA then.

  • JORETA had 12 areas. Suburban, Diepkloof, Orlando East, Orlando West, Dube Mofolo, Momojama, Jabu Zomdeni ,

Pimvillle, Protea, Dobsonville, Meadowlands and CDS.

  • The founders named the association JORATA Johannesburg retired African teachers’ association then going to the social development to apply for an NPO number. The then leadership was advised to name it JORETA so that its inclusive to all teachers of all creed and colour as long as they taught in Johannesburg. Three months was the probation period the NPO still exists to date.
  • JORETA meetings were held at Mooki church in Orlando East and in 2014 moved to Dlamini multipurpose hall in Dlamini due to more retired teachers joining under the leadership of Dr Ramusi, Mr Dan Musi later Mr Lloyd Maluleke, then the membership was +/- 400.
  • JORETA from the beginning was a powerful association that was formed to embrace the Johannesburg retired teachers to keep them together, promote “ubuntu to care for one another in good times and in bad times.

It is one of the associations that has kept its values and beliefs.

  • JORETA used to network with the Nurses Association and the Police Forum as our aim and objectives are the same.
  • JORETA used to have information sharing, every area would submit what they’re going to share, this was in the first quarter of the year, it helped members to research information to share.
  • Members joining JORETA would be given a membership number, which helped in determining how many members JORETA had, a Hymnal book and a Constitution.
  • The top executive would at the end of the year visit the homebound members to know them and cheer them up.Every month birthdays were celebrated, the hospitality team would serve members from what the celebrants had brought, they in turn would receive a flower and a message read that spoke to the celebrants, one of them would reply on behalf of the celebrants.
  • Time was kept at every general meeting.
  • With regard to the annual general meeting, for reports on finance,each member would have a copy of the finance report so that should there be questions, it would be easy in terms of referral and clarity.

 Committees

  • tours
  • bereavement
  • culture
  • hospitality

JORETA now.

  • JORETA now has 9 areas, Suburban, Diepkloof , DUMORLA, Meadowlands, Pimville, Momojama, CDS, Dobsonville, and Protea.
  • JORETA with time has changed,it has moved in another direction. Members join JORETA for wrong reasons after being introduced at area level and at the JORETA general, they slow down eventually vanish just send in their contributions,
  • The information session has been cut off. The visitation of our homebound by the general executive has been done away with.
  • Most of the correspondence is now done by technology now disadvantaging those who do not know how to use the modern gadgets like the computer. Written reports were helpful to the home bound members.
  • JORETA is growing drastically and we are grateful. An appreciation is that we now have two extra portfolios,one is Discipline and the other is Editorial and Coordinators have been elected to lead the newportfolios. That is highly commended and it’s a sign of growth.

Newsletter.

  • Today JORETA has a JORETA website organised by the Editorial coordinator and the team.
  • Editorial committee takes care of the JORETA history from 1989 to date.
  • We were fortunate to have attended a workshop facilitated by Dr Mahala who explained to us the difference between a journal and a newsletter
  • The octogenarian celebration together with the Heritage Day are still observed.
  • Birthdays are celebrated at area level. The memorial services for our deceased are still well handled, members attend in big numbers.
  • Now that we have the Editorial Committee, we propose that we have “The Founders Day” be put on our JORETA year plan so that the founders be acknowledged for the good that they have done.The tours committee would organise one short trip in the beginning of the year and a long trip for the end of the year.

Added Committees.

  • Editorial Committee
  • Disciplinary and Security Committee
  • Wellness Committee

Highlights.

  • DUMORLA is humbled that in their midst they have one of them who has served as a chairman of Orlando east area in 2011-2013. In tours committee in 2012 – 2014 as an assistant secretary then in 2014 – 2017 as the JORETA general secretary. Presently as an area representative of the editorial team – committee member. It is none other than Makhantso Thelma Hermanus

Compiled by DURMORLA editorial team.

Editorial Committee

 

 

DUMORLA Members

DUMORLA Executive Members