Aneesa Rhoda, née Wentzel, died peacefully at her residence in Le Grange Street, Strand, on Monday 31 March.
Known fondly to the Strand Muslim community as “Juffrou Rhoda”, the 80-year-old was a teacher at Strand Moslem Primary School for nearly 30 years before retiring in 1993.
Born in 1944, Rhoda was the second-
eldest daughter of Oesman and Amina Wentzel. She also attended Strand Moslem Primary before going on to Gordon High School, where she completed Standard 8 (Grade 10).
She qualified as a teacher at Wesley Teacher Training College in Salt River.
For the first few years of her teaching career, she plied her trade at Siddique Moslem Primary in Elsies River, Faure Primary School, CR Rhoda Methodist Primary School (Strand Halfway), Tonku Bosman Primary School near Raithby and Temperance Town Primary in Gordon’s Bay.
In 1964 Rhoda was appointed to teach a double class of Sub B (Grade 2) and Standard 1 (Grade 3) at Strand Moslem Primary. It’s where most of her teaching career was spent, teaching Sub A learners (Grade 1) until her retirement.
Many in the community expressed their thanks, particularly through the Strand Moslem Council, for the crucial role she played in the development and discipline of their children, and for instilling good manners in them.
In an article published to mark the council’s 60th anniversary she wrote: “Ek beskou nog altyd al die kinders wat ek onderrig het as my kinders.”
As a young teacher, she married Shiraadge Rhoda. Together they share three children, Munadia, NihaadAyesha and Abu Bakr. Her life partner died in 2000. Rhoda was grandmother of nine.
In widowhood she showed real enterprise by starting a koesister business with her daughters. People in the Helderberg became well-acquainted with these delicacies.
The Strand Muslim community, through the council, expressed their gratitude to “Juffrou Rhoda”. “We pray that the Almighty put sabr and contentment in the hearts of her family.”
