STUDENTS were captivated last month with stories of Apartheid and Nelson Mandela.

John Hanson Community School welcomed Chris Lubbe as part of its Tolerance Term.

The “incredible man” told pupils and staff during his speech about growing up in South Africa during the Apartheid era, and then his work as Nelson Mandela’s bodyguard.

Dawn Jones, head of Year 9, said: “We learnt about the horrors and injustices of this period of history. We learnt about forgiveness and the messages of peaceful activism.”

Two Year 9 students, Ellie Gabriel and Kate Galvin, said Mr Lubbe’s talk was “extremely inspirational”.

Through his story, Mr Lubbe demonstrated the true strength of character and the resilience he developed in order to remain true to his values of tolerance and forgiveness.

Part of his tale was to share with students some of the fascinating, and at times very famous, people that he has met through the years. The group also learnt about family, forgiveness, tolerance and resilience.

“We will never forget the experience of meeting this incredible man and we are thankful that he came to John Hanson to share his story,” Mrs Jones added.