St Marks School
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| St Mark's School | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Mbabane, Hhohho, Swaziland | |
| Information | |
| Locale | Suburban |
| Head-Teacher | Chris Davies (Grades 1-7), Dominic Nxumalo (Grades 8-12 + A'Levels), |
| Exam board | UCLES (SPC, J.C and GCE O'Level, A'Level) |
| Students | 2,000 boys and girls |
| Type | Public, Boarding |
| Grades | 1 - 12 + A'level (2 years) |
| Motto | Nisi Dominus |
| Established | 1908 |
St Mark's School is a public co-educational school located in located in Mbabane, Swaziland. Founded in 1908 and with a total population of about 2,000 scholars, it is one of the oldest, largest and most prestigious schools in the country.[citation needed]
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[edit] Early Formation
St Mark's School was founded in 1908 by then Reverend (later Bishop) Christopher Charles Watts of the Anglican Diocese of Swaziland.[1] Reverend Watts was concerned by the lack of adequate educational facilities for the children of members of the rapidly expanding colonial settler community in Swaziland.
A staunch believer in quality education, he sought to establish a school that would eventually acquire the prestige of other Anglican boarding schools in Southern Africa such as Michaelhouse and St John's College (Johannesburg, South Africa), and would thus provide a viable alternative for children within reasonable travelling distance with Mbabane.
So at the beginning of the school year in January, 1908, with just four children who gathered in the ten by ten foot room of the priest in charge of Mbabane, St Mark's School was born. From its establishment, enrollment grew rapidly and with a significant amount of support from the Government of Swaziland and various private contributors the school quickly became established. Because of its significant successes especially in the Cape Matriculation Examination it quickly came to be widely regarded as the most prestigious school in the country, a position that would go unchallenged for almost six decades until the formation of Waterford Kamhlaba by Michael Stern in 1963.
[edit] Motto
At its establishment, 'Nisi Dominus' was adopted as the school motto. The motto is a summarization of the Latin translation of Psalm 127 'nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum in vanum laboraverunt qui aedificant eam nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem frustra vigilavit qui custodit' meaning 'unless the Lord builds the house, they work on a useless thing who build it; unless the Lord guards the community, he keeps watch in vain who guards it'.
[edit] Notable Alumni
Notable Old Marcians include:
- Patrice Motsepe, Executive Chairman - African Rainbow Minerals Ltd (ARM), Chairman of Harmony Gold (NYSE: HMY), Deputy Chairman Sanlam, President - Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), President - Chambers of Commerce and Industry South Africa (CHAMSA), President - Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club.
- Phuthuma Nhleko, Group Chief Executive Officer of MTN Telecommunications Group of Companies
- Richard E. Grant, British Actor and Director
- Wakhile Mkhonza, Author and Political Scientist
as well as the following spouses to HM King Mswati III
- Inkhosikati LaMbikiza, (formerly Sibonelo Mngomezulu)
- former Inkhosikati LaHwala, (Putsoana Hwala)
- Inkhosikati LaNtentesa, (formerly Noliqhwa Ayanda Ntentesa)
