Dedication, sacrifice and hard work have been highlighted as the key factors which drove the Joe Slovo Engineering High School choir to victory when they won the Western Piece category at the School Choir Eisteddfod held in Gauteng.
When Vukani visited the school last Friday, teachers and pupils could not contain their emotions.
Teacher, Vuyokazi Stofile, said the unwavering commitment and passion displayed by the pupils had resulted in their success.
Ms Stofile said the choir first competed in the district competition where they won eight categories before going on to win five categories in the provincial leg.
Ms Stofile said the choir committee and the pupils had camped out at the school, spending long hours preparing for the competition.
Ms Stofile said among their wishes was to see the school choir succeed in other competitions as well and to receive financial assistance.
“We are proud of the school winning. We have done absolutely everything to prepare for it and we are now yielding the outcomes of that.
“We want to produce singers and music producers. We want to be among the schools respected in the country. We want to show everyone that township schools have the ability to achieve anything they wanted,” she said.
Grade 11 pupil Chuma Mphikilili, 17, who joined the choir last year, said: “I’m very happy that a school from Khayelitsha township stood at the national level representing the Western Cape.
“Joining the choir has saved me from several illegal things that happen outside, and it has kept me safe. I will remain in the choir even next year when I do my final year at this school,” he said.
Chuma added that he saw music as a career and hoped to take it to the next level.