Celebrating 35 years of service to the College - Mr Ephraim Maleka

One of our longest serving staff this year is Noko Ephraim Maleka who joined the College on the 7 November 1984 as a cleaner in Mount Stephens boarding house.  He remembers that Mr Henning was the Headmaster of the Boys’ College and Mr Verner was the Boarding House Master of Mount Stephens at the time.  He tells me that back then everything on the far side of Jameson field (where the Girls’ College is now) used to be forest and that is where the support staff lived. He also told me that where the Astro is now was also forest and cattle used to roam the campus.

Ephraim remembers at that time there were coal boilers to heat the water for the showers in the boarding house.  He also has fond memories of working with both Mr George Harris (now CEO Royal Bafokeng Institute), and Mr Piet Van Tonder (retired Deputy Head of the Boys’ College) when they were boarding house masters at Mount Stephens.  He remembers them as both being very nice men who were strict with the boys.

When asked how he felt how the College has changed over the years, Ephraim remembers that in the 1990’s our rugby teams were winners at the Easter Festival, but he feels we haven’t been so great for a while but getting better!

Ephraim remained as a cleaner in Mount Stephens until the end of 2009 when the boarding house cleaning function was outsourced.  He then moved to join the campus Operations department responsible for cleaning the Astro and assisting in the Aquatics Centre. He is still part of the Campus Operations Department but is responsible for ensuring that our campus is kept neat and free of litter.

Ephraim hails from Nebo region in Limpopo and is married to Mataamane. He has 5 children, 3 girls aged 31, 28 and 18 years and twin boys who are now 24 years old.  In his free time he likes to garden and watch soccer and is an avid Kaizer Chiefs Fan!

He told me that some of his fondest memories are the friendships he has built with other staff who he has worked with over his many years at the College!

We thank Ephraiim for his dedication and service and we celebrate all our staff who make a world of difference in all that they do.