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The changing cultural landscape of Eastern Cape boys’ schools

Vusumzi Mba
By Vusumzi Mba
7 Nov 2022
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The early days of transformation when black people had to leave their African identity at the gates of Eastern Cape boys’ schools in the morning, become a white person during the day, and pick up their black identity again after school, are rapidly fading.

Changes in the Eastern Cape boys’ schools landscape is of immense importance as it narrates where we come from as South Africans. It is of paramount importance that the debate is given a historical analysis because it’s not happening in isolation from other societal developments.  

The history of education in South Africa is traceable to the precolonial era when the Khoi and San people taught their children how to hunt, gather food and cook using stone tools.

However, the historical account of formal education is traced back to the arrival of white settlers at the Cape, led by Jan van Riebeeck, who in 1658 permitted his people to establish the first school in South Africa. This laid the foundation for formal education in South Africa, with the first school specifically designed for slaves. From 1822 to 1824, the settler government started establishing government-free schools, also known as English Free Schools.

The history of boys’ schools or single-sex schools in the Eastern Cape goes back to 1822 when Muir College was established by Scottish educationalist, James Rose Innes. Muir College became the first government-free school in October 1822. Yet, at the time the school was for both girls and boys. It was only in 1873 that it became a boys’ school. This shift from a co-ed school to a single-sex school led to the establishment of Riebeek College for girls in 1877.

The inception of boy’s schools is a Western idea primarily based on creating a noble white man who will become a sophisticated elite, professional, academic and intellectual. The intent was clear that sophisticated professional elites must be white, hence the application of Davidson John Tengo Jabavu was rejected by Dale College Boys High in King William’s Town in the early 1900s. The idea behind this was maintaining the status quo while developing and advancing the capitalist system.

Intent of the coloniser


A historical account of these schools is fundamental as it gives us a clear picture of where we come from and where we are going with the current decolonial agenda of education. Therefore, we cannot present a changing landscape without reflecting on the intent of the coloniser.

From inception it was clear that single-sex schools were at the centre of the divisive development agenda of the colonial and apartheid government of South Africa. These schools were built to maintain white supremacy with a clear programme to entrench their belief systems and culture.

Nevertheless, in the late 1980s, the people of South Africa started observing a paradigm shift in terms of race. These schools started opening for a few black boys and girls. The access to the few elites started showing some elements of change and symptoms of a bigger phenomenon that is yet to be born.

Read in Daily Maverick: “Renaming University of Fort Hare much more than just ‘standardisation of place names’” 

In 1990, the apartheid regime began the release of all political prisoners and the unbanning of the liberation Struggle movements. It was in this era that we saw a rise in black middle-class children given access to these schools. Also, these schools started to recruit excellent black athletes and staff. This on its own was an indication of a changing landscape in terms of race.

The migration to these schools had its challenges. Even though the schools were accommodating of black children, they were still conservative and countertransformation. The policies of these schools were still unaccommodated to black people’s identity, culture, customs and heritage. Black people had to leave their African identity at the gate in the morning and become a white person during the day, and pick it up again after school. The boys’ school system forced black people to live a double life.

The culture was purely white – even some school songs were degrading and insulting to black people. School songs were often colonial-era war songs that were composed to maintain white supremacy and insult black people. They were composed to be sung for celebrating war victories. These are the same wars where the land of the Rharhabe people was forcefully taken, and the blood of their ancestors shed.

Within these spaces, it was not easy for black children to be who they are, and because of this, they were robbed of an opportunity to study in a conducive environment that accommodates their identity. The reason is that these schools were never created to cater for black people’s culture, customs and heritage.

Progressively, black children started displaying excellence and proving that they are also human by participating in sports and achieving colours in both academics and sports. The names of black children started being written on the “white walls” where the great are honoured. These were walls that were initially designed to appraise whiteness and white excellence. This was the start of rewriting our history in these schools and part of the broader agenda of decoloniality.

In 28 years of democracy we have seen some remarkable achievements in addressing the legacy of colonialism and apartheid education, such as the reform of policies that had an undertone of racism – such as those on hair and language – and the abolition of initiation for newcomers by seniors who were predominantly white. Without being too historical and critical about the subject matter, let us admit there is an element of progress and transformation.

At a cultural and heritage level, these schools are now also accommodative to our culture – we have seen a growing number of graduates of initiation schools wearing the school uniform of these schools with their post-initiation attire and applying imbhola to their faces.



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Recently we have been shocked by a few schools renaming their sites of importance, such as cricket pitches, rugby fields and corridors, after prominent and key figures of the black community. Grey High School in Gqeberha just renamed its main rugby fields after Siya Kolisi, a former Grey High School pupil and first-team player who’s now the Springbok captain.

Queens Junior named its new cricket nets after Zandile Gwana, a dedicated teacher, sport activist, cricket coach and fan. The naming of these two facilities is an honour and an indication of the good direction that the country is heading in.

The cherry on top was Selborne College in East London establishing relations with the Rharhabe Kingdom and unveiling a stone of the current King of Amarharhabe, King Vululwandle Sandile, a former pupil. He is the son of the late King Maxhoba’yakhawuleza Aah! Zanesizwe, and the late Queen Noloyiso ka Bhekuzulu kaSolomon. King Vululwandle’s great-grandparents were dispossessed, marginalised and oppressed by the colonial government. This moment in history has convinced me that the spirit of Maqoma is still with us waging the fight for our land.

Read in Daily Maverick: “The centenary of Lovedale’s John Knox Bokwe: A forgotten and neglected legend”

These are the historical moments that should be celebrated and narrated. Black boys no longer have to leave their identity at the gates – instead it is embraced and they can self-actualise in these spaces. 

This is seen in academics, sport and cultural activities. At some of these schools, isiXhosa is being embraced as a first additional language, and amagwijo are sung joyfully at events and even at the assembly.

On a cultural day, boys wear Isintu instead of just civvies like any other casual day. Societies to embrace culture are formed and they are accepted. The president of the Old Selbornian Union, Qhamani Siwundla, has been seen several times proudly wearing beads with his Old Selbornian blazer, assuming his duties as president in a previously conservative space with its own dress code and tradition. 

Of course, there may be underlying factors that come with the whiteness of attending these schools, but there are also occurrences of transformation that should be acknowledged. The road may be long, but we can be a testament to transformation in our lifetime. DM

The writer is an alumnus of Dale College in King William’s Town.

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