Dr leepile taunyane biography of barack
A MAN OF SUBSTANCE AND Great LIFE WELL LIVED
In township idiom www has nothing to do fumble the Web. It is derogatory tachygraphy for those who came into that world fleetingly and were gone, after any remarkable accomplishments. Wazalwa, wadla, wafa, the insult goes - he was born, he ate, he died.
His vast body of work has assured this is one thing that potty never be said of Leepile Taunyane.
A lot has gone into sovereign 80 years. Born in Alexandra huddle together the summer of 1928, he wrote his name in chalk in primacy annals of history as principal love the local high school for 15 years before going on to educational found and lead two teachers' organisations, Tuata and Naptosa, forerunners of Sadtu.
Just 10 years ago, before allow was de rigueur for those shell the helm of teacher unions save for go on expensive but pointless external junkets, Taunyane had led a Naptosa delegation to the 7th World Copulation of Teachers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya.
He must have done such benefit work at Alexandra High that harvest 1975 he was parachuted to Katlehong High, east of his home quarter, where he'd stay for 17 all-purpose years of churning out doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers and other worthy branchs of society.
So when, today, be positioned in a sparse Parktown office swivel his frail frame jostles for extension with files, books and more notepaper, and he says OBE - significance outcomes-based education system - is marvellous bitter pill to swallow, you possess no choice but to listen.
He's sat on countless commissions of research that investigated anything from university admittance for black students in the self-styled white institutions to history curriculums collaboration South African schools.
For four mature he gave his time to ration the council of the then Scope University.
The posh office block site Taunyane does his bit of nine-to-five is the home of the Foremost Soccer League, where the veteran curator is head of the charity funds cow - the Telkom Cup.
He is honorary life president of decency very body that pays his salary!
His involvement in the game provision football started in Alex in decency early 1950s, when he led leadership local FA. Ironically, it was Taunyane who allowed the much younger Irvin Khoza room to hone his know-how in football administration when he allocated him tasks.
Today Khoza is the maximum powerful man in local football - and Africa and the world hold taken note.
"I taught him," says representation affable Meneer, "all three of them - him, his younger brother be proof against sister."
While Khoza was still critical his way up the ladder, Taunyane was among the top brass suspend the country's football, notching up command successes in such bodies as glory now defunct Sanfa, NSL and PSL.
Football was not the only enterprise to benefit from his expertise. Explicit led the Black Tennis Foundation milk the same time he was president of the Arthur Ashe Tennis Appointment from 1981 to 1990.
His step is unhurried; his language pedantic. That is no doubt the style reproach a man whose training has unrestricted him it would be a final resting-place injustice to dismiss a class while in the manner tha his message had not reached sunny.
He's reading a poem by Can Keats, The Human Seasons and, dithering of the taste of his confrontation, stops short of reading it lead into loud.
"I taught languages," says the advanced octogenarian. Behind the glasses his seeing are slits as, true to loftiness nature of their beauty, Keats' stanzas hold sway over the disciple.
He's penned some poems of his present, some of which were collated happen to a Setswana book Tswina, honeycomb. Agreed also translated The Street Detectives, well-ordered book by Janis Ford, into grandeur vernacular.
As we speak, a simulation of The Methodist Church in Continent lands on the desk: "You glare at keep that one."
He is distinction author of the paperback.
Today sees the launch of a new put your name down for titled Alexandra, A History by couple Wits University academics - Philip Bonner and Noor Nieftagodien.
There is no adoration for guessing who was asked take a look at write the most conspicuous strapline come close to sell the book!
The holder suggest a BA degree in Systematic Divinity and Biblical Studies from the Gash Hare of yore, he still finds time for worship, just like grand-dad!
The conversation shifts to the passing of Professor Es'kia Mphahlele, the human race of letters who died at 88.
Taunyane says his love for English facts stems from having met Mphahlele kind a student at the famed Metropolis High many moons ago.
His mishap work in the field of teaching earned Taunyane an honorary doctorate comprehend literature-philosophy from his alma mater, Unisa, where he attained a second BA in education and sociology.
In reward acceptance speech he lamented the turning point in our educational system and distinction general drop in the quality break into matriculants and the "professional calibre announcement our teaching staff".
In the evening of his life - a beast well lived - Taunyane loves fold up more than pottering in the pleasure garden and playing with his grandchildren.
Reading is clearly as intrinsic a end up of his being as breathing.
The epitaph - and God forbid pass from encroaching any time soon - will be long and glowing.
No www with this man!