Mpumalanga ICT Club celebrated Mandela Day on 18 July at Edward Matyeka Primary with eMalahleni 2 and 3 circuits, and 205 learners took part in the Code4Mandela Challenge. The teams of five used their 21st century skills such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and problem solving to reach the level 30 of the Rangers Coding App. The app has been developed by the Nelson Mandela University.
More than 100 children applauded their teams from the sidelines. Merlin Primary School won the honour of being number 1, followed by Johannes Kananda Primary School at number 2, Siphendulwe Primary School at number 3, and Edward Matyeka Primary School each earned medals and certificates.
“This was an exciting event, we included a Mandela song for children to dance following coding instructions to demystify coding” said Nomusa Keninda, founder of the club.
The Code4Mandela Challenge is a coding tournament that is initiated by Nelson Mandela University with Tangible Africa and Leva Foundation in Gqeberha. The Mpumalanga ICT Club is hosting the coding challenge for the third time since 2022. It happens annually on the 18 July during the Mandela Day.
“Every year, we observe the growth and the love of coding from the kids and we are looking forward to seeing more kids and supporting efforts from business, communities and government since the coding and robotics curriculum has been officially published for grade R-9”
It was a wonderful afternoon that reminded us of our freedom fighters, particularly uTata Nelson Mandela. This younger generation listened intently as I told the narrative of Nelson Mandela, our first black president. #CodeForMandela #MandelaDay