During her 40 years of selfless service to the Girl Guides, Jumartha Majola has guided countless youngsters to blossom and reach their full potential.  At the age of 71, Jumartha still trains youth leaders for guiding in the suburbs of Kwazakhele, New Brighton and Zwide.  

It’s not only the young but also the elderly who benefit from her caring and Jumartha has been involved with the Hoza Golden Age group for 20 years, taking the elderly in her suburb on outings.  As Vice-Chairperson of a venerable Port Elizabeth charitable organisation, the Mayoress’s Work Party, Jumartha leads a working group of more than 80 women around the metro who knit and sew for the needy.

Despite her commitment to community life, it has not always been easy. She raised five children alone after the death of her husband, Eric, in a motor accident in 1971. 

Sport is another thread that runs through Jumartha’s life – she founded the Ivan Peter table-tennis club in New Brighton, which also offered drama, karate, ballroom dancing, soccer, snooker, boxing and, of course, girl guides. Although she did not take part in all these activities herself, she knew the rules and she encouraged them, promoted them and got the participants suitably fitted out for their sports. 

Jumartha’s late husband had national colours for rugby and cricket, and passed on sporting genes to sons Khaya and Gerald in particular. Gerald Majola is in the powerful position of CEO of the United Cricket Board, while Khaya, who died in 2000, had a major influence on cricket in South Africa as UCB director of development and later director of amateur cricket.

With her life motto being “I promise that I will do my best to do my duty to God and to my country” NMMU is proud to present Jumartha Majola with this prestigious Council award.