On 21 March 2026 (Human Rights Day), Pathwayz Development, in partnership with community organizations, will host the Homecoming Convocation Day – the grandest gathering of alumni from the greater Hammanskraal. This historic occasion will celebrate reconnection, growth, and collective advancement while also marking the official opening of the Temba Youth Career Exposition (21–27 March 2026) at the Temba Academic City.
Billed as a Fundraising Gala Dinner, the Homecoming Convocation Day will not only provide an opportunity for former learners and students from Hammanskraal schools to reconnect and network, but also to give back and reinvest in the community. Alumni who once benefitted from the community’s commitment to education will now be invited to reinvest in the next generation of learners by supporting quality education, infrastructure, and career development opportunities.
For over a century, schools and colleges across Hammanskraal rural and urban villages have produced outstanding graduates, professionals, and thought leaders who have made their mark in South Africa and across the globe. However, the migration of the middle class to cities, combined with the closure of the Babelegi Industrial Park and professional colleges, eroded the local economy, strained school resources, and weakened alumni networks.
As a result, schools today face challenges such as dilapidated infrastructure, minimal libraries and laboratories, and underfunded sports and cultural programs – all of which impact the holistic development of learners.
The Homecoming Convocation Day seeks to rebuild these bridges by reconnecting alumni with their alma maters. The gathering will offer opportunities to:
- Engage with school leaders and management.
- Explore avenues for resource mobilization, mentorship, and skills transfer.
- Support the renovation and refurbishment of schools.
- Strengthen networks that will inspire and guide today’s learners toward higher education and career opportunities.
To borrow and adapt from President John F. Kennedy’s timeless words: Ask not what your community can do for you, but what we can collectively do for the upliftment of our community.”
The Homecoming Convocation Day will also pay tribute to the founding pioneers who laid the foundations of the schooling system in Hammanskraal. Among those honored will be Fr. Arthur William Blaxall (1891–1970), a British-born South African Anglican clergyman who, in 1942, established the Itireleng School for the Blind, opening doors of learning for visually impaired children in the region.
Posthumous recognition will also be conferred upon Musetji Andries Setshedi (1907–1982) the first headmaster of Temba Primary School, where he served with distinction for 12 years from its founding in 1947 until 1959. His outstanding leadership later saw him promoted to become a circuit inspector for Hammanskraal, where he continued to shape and strengthen education in the community.
Bookings for limited seats and tables at the Hammanskraal Homecoming Convocation Day will open from 15 October 2025 to 31 December 2025. For partnership opportunities through sponsorship and to reserve your place at this landmark event, contact: tembacareerexpo@gmail.com
