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Marawa said he left the Hilton College in 1991 and only physically returned in October last year.
Broadcaster Robert Marawa opened up about his experience at Hilton College in the mid-80s. Picture: robert_marawa/Instagram
In a rare sit-down interview, Robert Marawa opened up about his experience as a student at Hilton College, one of the country’s prestigious schools, in the mid-80s.
“I took a stance that I would not go back to the school once I had left. There was a 20-year reunion, and I told my friends, ‘Guys, listen, go have fun’,” averred Marawa in an interview on Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh’s podcast, SMWX.
Marawa attended Hilton College from 1987 to 1991 and was among the first black students at the private boarding school for boys.
“I left the school in 1991, and I only physically returned through its gates last year in October,” shared Marawa.
“Because of all this anger that I’d had, I didn’t see the need why I must go back.”
Black students in South African private schools have for years faced challenges, including cultural dissonance and potential alienation. Although this is slowly changing with more people of colour being able to afford the fees, the experiences often leave a scar of trauma on the scholars.
“I look at that [invites] and don’t respond because my heart is not there.”
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Marawa’s big jump to Hilton
Providing context to why he found some difficulty adjusting to the prestigious boarding school, Marawa cited having first attended a primary school in Eshowe and his upbringing on the farm.
“We did two sports there; we played soccer, and we ran athletics,” he said.
“So you make a big jump, a huge jump. I had no idea what rugby was, I had no idea what they were doing with the ball,” said the broadcaster.
“I had no idea what water polo was; I had no idea what swimming was. That’s why I even said in the book that till today, I’m not proud of it, but I still can’t swim despite the five years I spent there,” he shared with Mpofu-Walsh.
“But we were isolated and made to sit there by the pool and dip our feet in the water,” he said.
Sports broadcaster who had no knowledge of the game
The revered sports broadcaster said he had zero knowledge of sports like cricket and hockey.
“I’m not even exaggerating; I have no idea.”
Marawa said he eventually took up Hockey and Tennis, but he described basketball as his saving grace.
“I had no idea again what basketball was. I used to watch Inside Stuff, and I think that kind of propelled me because of the anchor who anchored Inside Stuff, the NBA show.”
“I played first team for two years; I captained it in my last year and then played for Natal midlands. Got my colours for basketball and so on. And I also played rugby, eventually got to understand what rugby is,” he said.
He added that he played lock alongside former Springbok Captain Bob Skinstad.
Looking ahead
Marawa’s change of heart came after the current headmaster at Hilton, George Harris, joined in 2017.
“He was also very keen because he’s also very open-minded. He’s somebody who, with the work they’ve done in Rustenburg in the North West and so on, carries with him an aura of respectability.”
Before joining Hilton, Harris served as CEO of the Royal Bafokeng Institute, helping schools apply innovative teaching approaches.
Marawa said he’s had to ponder about the future of his own son and where he will get his schooling in the coming years.
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