Nomination of the Bonner Hall Wilberforce Institute

With its motto that says, ‘ONLY THE BEST IS GOOD ENOUGH’, the Wilberforce institute is a reflection of the vision of Mama Charlotte Makgomo Mannya-Maxeke. Hers was to see a black child to settle for nothing less that the best, anything less was not good enough. Wilberforce was established to realise that African dream to serve as a vehicle to transform the black community from being mere consumers but be participants in the production of goods and services in a sustainable manner.

Mannya-Maxeke (1871 – 1939) was a pioneering South African woman who was passionate about inclusivity, education and evangelism. She grasped every opportunity presented to her and accomplished many notable firsts during her lifetime. It is not by mistake that she’s referred to as ‘The First of Everything’
These include:
 Being the first black South African woman to achieve a BSC degree in 1901.
 Being the first woman to participate in the King’s Courts under King Sabata Dalindyebo of AbaThembu.
 Establishing a school in Evaton with her husband in 1908 (Wilberforce Institute)
 Being the only woman who attended and contributed to the first African National Congress (ANC) conference in 1912.
 Being co-initiator, organiser and the first President of the Bantu Women’s League founded in 1918 (it would later become the ANC Women’s League
She drew inspiration from her life-long vision of lifting others up, and from her time in the United States of America at the Wilberforce Institution. This institution has produced generations of leaders in various sectors of society and industry.
The foundation of the Wilberforce Institute was the beginning of a new kind of struggle for the founding fathers and mothers as well as for the hungry earnest souls who wanted to secure knowledge. It was the first African independent school that had ever opened in the Transvaal.

From the start, Wilberforce faced a plethora of challenges, one being to develop a programme that would deal with children from poor socio-economic backgrounds (when other mission schools, including government schools, did not) as well as set educational standards that would meet South Africa’s economic needs. As an independent school that did not enjoy grant-in-aid from the government, Wilberforce was left to struggle alone, and thanks to the local communities, it survived those difficult times. It was embraced by the local community as one of the local achievements that reacted against the colonial marginalisation of Africans.

While other mission schools were enjoying government funding during the apartheid era from the apartheid government, Wilberforce was solely funded by the African Methodist Episcopal Church and was seen by the local communities in Evaton and elsewhere in South Africa and beyond, as a liberator of the Black majority.

The institution has evolved into a Community College and a training centre for AME religious leaders. Most of the historic buildings have been in disuse for a number of years now and the impact is showing. However, their significance has not dwindled.
The Borner Hall has come to encapsulate all the different layers of significance of the Wilberforce institution and all the different generations that passed through the Institution. Bonner Hall was the only hall in Evaton where a number of community and school activities such as music competitions and other shows were held.

It is considered to be of adequate scope and scale to convey the attributes for which Wilberforce is being nominated; its physical state has withstood the test of time and of the elements; it exhibits faithful testimony to the layers of significance that Wilberforce is known for. It can be subjected to optimal and exemplary management and protection. It constitutes the core of the site, all the other buildings and facilities are deemed to be in the buffer zone of the property.
Borner Hall in Wilberforce institution stands majestically almost at the centre of the campus and carries historical, spiritual and social significance for generations of Southern Africans and international people who went through her doors. Its unforgettable impact is not just in its majestic structure and scale at present and in comparison to the time when it was built, but also in the exceptionally positive memories conveyed by its different alumni.
Bonner Hall was named after Bishop Isaiah Hamilton Bonner who was Presiding Bishop of the A M E Church in South Africa from 1948 to 1952. He dedicated his hall on the 17th June 1951 with Mr G Franz, who was Chief Inspector and Mr Huller, who was the Native Commissioner at Vereeniging then.