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Vuyisile Ncube (left) presents a kit to John Tallach’s headmaster Bonakele Ncube (right) while Siboniso Ndebele shows one of the jerseys at the school’s Bulawayo office yesterday

Sports Reporter
JOHN Tallach High School yesterday received a perfect Christmas present from its former students who donated a football kit worth R6,000. South African-based electrical engineer with power giant Eskom Vuyisile Ncube and his wife Abigail said they responded to a call from Bulawayo-based entrepreneur Siboniso “Husky” Ndebele to help the school with a soccer kit.

Ncube said he felt obliged to donate after being informed that John Tallach now participates in the National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) organised activities which was not the case during his school days.

“I’m a proud product of Ingwenya Mission (John Tallach) and when my friend Ndebele, whom I learnt with from 1986-89, told me that the school now competes with other schools, I felt I should help together with my wife, who is also a former student of the same school,” said Ncube.

“During our days at the school, we were restricted to inter-house soccer tournaments and as a result, some talented guys couldn’t showcase their talent outside the school.

“It’s our hope that this donation will inspire other former John Tallach students to give back to the school so that one day they become national champions,” he said.

Some former John Tallach students, who went on to make a mark on the local football scene despite being denied the opportunity to compete against other schools include ex-Highlanders’ Mandla Balanda and the former Wankie (now Hwange) duo of Fidelis Sakala and Nicholas Nyala.

John Tallach headmaster Bonakele Ncube said his school would strive to develop and nurture talented footballers.

“This really shows that the school is growing, and to see former John Tallach students plough back is amazing. All along John Tallach has been known as a centre of academic excellence but these days this is not enough given that sport can be a source of livelihood,” said Ncube, who is also the Nash Matabeleland North chairman.