Inkamana is recognised as a historic school.[1] It is situated in the heart of the Zululand. Inkamana High School was started 2 February 1923 as an intermediate School with only one class of grade 5 by Benedictine Missionaries from the
Benedictine Congregation of St. Ottilien in Germany.[2] The school had fifteen pupils, four boys and eleven girls, all from Vryheid and the Paulpietersburg district. They were all boarders at Inkamana. They paid sixpence a month for school fees and brought farm and garden products to pay for their boarding accommodation.
A Roman Catholic Missionary School, was founded in 1923.
The first Junior Certificate Examination was held at Inkamana in November 1934. The Senior Certificate course at Inkamana began in 1935 and a year later four pupils were preparing for their graduation. However, three of them left. The only remaining student, Ulrica Dzivane, successfully wrote her Senior Certificate Examination in Nov. 1936. Since then the Senior Certificate results have gained for Inkamana the reputation of being one of the best schools in the country. The failure rate was always low.
Today
The school recorded a hundred percent pass rate in matric examinations from 1969 until now, 2009. [citation needed]
Presently the student enrolment is 200 with one class for each grade.
This co-educational boarding school is part of, and located within,
Inkamana Abbey in the Abaqulusi region of KwaZulu Natal Province. There is a monastery, church, farm and other related activities as part of the location.
In 2007 Inkamana was amongst several schools recognised as "historic schools". Funding of six million rand a year was earmarked for
Adams College, Inkamana High School,
Ohlange High School,
Inanda Seminary and
Vryheid Comprehensive High School to make them academies focussing on Maths, Science and Technology. Anglican Archbishop Emeritus
Njongonkulu Ndungane has said that they still need funds and "little has been achieved since democracy".[1]
Princess Thembi was the sister of late AmaZulu King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuZulu and a member of the Zulu Royal Family
Cassius Lubisi, Director-General and Secretary to Cabinet: RSA
Dr Malibongwe Mthethwa first black person to own a private hospital in kzn(nongoma private hospital)
Thando Zikalala....
Leornard LJ Mncwango (Author of "Ngenzeni")
Dr
Fabian Ribeiro – (Medical doctor and Political Activist – He was murdered by Apartheid Agents)
Mrs
Florence Ribeiro (uKaMathe was a Political Activist – She was murdered with her husband (whom she met at Inkamana) by Apartheid Agents.
Mrs Zondeni Veronica Sobukwe (uKaMathe was a sister to Florence Ribeiro and wife to Robert Sobukwe was a formidable political activist known as the mother of Azania)
Adv Marumo Moerane
Dr Phumzile Helen Ngobese (First black woman medical doctor in KwaZulu-Natal)
Ms Hilda Mtshali (First Black Female Optometrist in South Africa)