History legend passes on

Pietermaritzburg history legend and author Simon Haw, died on Sunday, his family posted on Facebook. He was the author ofThe Witness’s150th anniversary book,Bearing Witness, and worked at the newspaper as a sub-editor in his retirement years. He also wroteFor Hearth and Home: The Story of Maritzburg College, having been head of history while on the teaching staff at the school.

Haw also wroteTaking Stock, the Natal Education Department Looks Back.He was also a researcher in the department’s curriculum planning section and history subject advisor for the Pietermaritzburg and chair of the provincial subject committee. His teaching career took him to Wartburg-Kirchdorf High School before Maritzburg College. Born in Johannesburg in 1946, he matriculated at Estcourt High School and studied at the University of Natal.

(now UKZN). A tribute read: “He didn’t just teach dates and names; he taught us how to understand the world and our place within it. His classroom was a place of storytelling, wisdom, and genuine kindness.

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Even in retirement, his passion for learning and his sharp wit never faded. “While the world feels a little quieter today, the lessons he instilled in his students live on.”

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