After 46 Years of Faithful Service, Howick Prep Gives Mr Ndlela a Farewell to Remember

Photo Credit: Howick Preparatory School via Facebook

From taking him on his first flight to naming a school building after him, Howick Preparatory School hosted the most intentionally thought-out events to honour Mr Howard Ndlela – a man who joined the school when he was just 18 and went on to become its very backbone.

Howick, South Africa (02 September 2026) – How do you honour a man who has worked alongside you since he was just 18? A man who has served with dedication for 46 years – tirelessly, humbly and always with a smile?

While we are still wrapping our heads around that kind of devotion, Howick Preparatory School has spent the past week hosting an emotional roller-coaster of events to celebrate Mr Howard Ndlela: an incredible man and a true pillar who has faithfully served the school since 1981!

In the lead-up to his retirement at the end of August, the Howick Prep School (HPS) community went out of its way to honour the living backbone of its school. First on the agenda was making one of Mr Ndlela’s biggest dreams come true: flying in an aeroplane.

A video shows Mr Ndlela being taken to an aircraft, where he was safely settled before taking to the sky on his very first flight. Making the moment even more special, he got to fly over his home in Impendle.

But there was more. In recognition of the many roles Mr Ndlela served in the Boarding Establishment, later known as the Teaching and Learning Centre, including caretaker, chef, cleaner and cobbler, the school saw fit to rename the original HPS building to The Howard Ndlela Centre.

Accompanied by his family, Mr Ndlela attended a special assembly honouring his 46 years of service, as well as the unveiling ceremony for the new centre, which now stands as part of his lasting legacy.

Then came a touching send-off, as all the learners gathered outside to meet Mr Ndlela and walk with him for ‘Howard’s Final Walk of Honour’. The jovial crowd applauded as he waved and said his final goodbyes to a school on which he has left an undeniable mark.

“Every HPS child will tell you that Mr Ndlela, uMalume, was forever singing ‘Hallelujah’, always with the biggest smile on his face,” the school shared.

“As you have walked alongside every Howick Prep learner for the past 46 years, so we get to spend a moment in your footsteps. We thank the greater Ndlela family for their support to Howard over the many years. Hamba Kahle, Baba Ndlela. Suprema Quaero.”

There are farewells, and then there are emotionally arresting moments like these: a truly moving send-off and honour for a man who gave his heart, his hands and 46 years of his life to a school that will carry his legacy for generations to come.