Meet the unique Durban school with twins in every grade

DURBAN - THE Nqobane Primary School in Mamdekazi, near Pinetown, is uniquely blessed, literally, with a staggering 20 sets of twins and a set of triplets all enrolled at the school.  

To celebrate the school’s unique feat, the school to the west of Durban, celebrated the twins enrolled at the school with the function on Friday.

Nomathandazo Madlala, 43, is the mother of the school’s only triplets Neliswa, Siyamthanda and Simphiwe, all 8.

“Having triplets was extremely difficult considering that I had to buy everything in threes, I had to buy more formula and more diapers whilst other parents were buying just one,” she said.

Madlala said the death of the children’s maternal and paternal grandmothers in 2013, made raising them more difficult.

Madlala said her girl triplet, Neliswa, was brighter of the three academically, while the boys were typical boys, lazy, and protective of their sister when other kids teased her and made her cry.

TRIPLETS: Nomthandazo Madlala with her triplets Neliswa, Siyamthanda and Simphiwe, at the Nqobane Primary School where each grade has twins. Picture: Kwandokuhle Njoli

Madlala said her triplets were good kids and said Neliswa helped around the household chores.

The mother, who is now a housewife, lost her job at a clothing factory after her children had to spend three months in hospital. They had chest problems at birth, but she was happy they were alive and strong in Grade 3 now.

The triplets class teacher, Zodwa Hadebe, said: “The only time having twins becomes challenging is when the other one is upset or sad, the other twin automatically becomes sad,” she said.

“However they do not get into a mischief and try to pretend to be the other, because we know them very well, so it is not easy for them to trick us,” she said.  

Principal Nkosinathi Zondi said it was a historic moment for the school and described the feat as “one of a kind”.

He said each grade at the school had twins.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE