Jubilant matriculants look forward to bright future

here were smiles all around Gauteng schools yesterday – the province had a pass rate of 82.8% – as matriculants rushed to their schools to collect their results.

At the Pretoria High School for Girls, Havannah Rex was pleasantly surprised to see four distinctions on her results after she saw only three distinctions on the online results.

“I have four distinctions but I feel like I missed out on two others,” she said.

Rex said she was excited to get her results because she was looking forward to studying accounting or a degree in business marketing at either the University of Pretoria or Cape Town. Cameron Burgess said she was nervous to open her results.

“I was very nervous and worried to get my marks because of Covid and how it was going to go,” she said.

Burgess she was pleased with her results and was getting ready to study a BA in psychology at Stellenbosch University this year. Memory Dhliwayo was delighted to see her daughter Tembiwe’s results.

“I’m very happy with my results. I wasn’t stressed but my mom was,” Tembiwe said.

She said was looking at studying law this year. Her mother Memory said it was hard having a matriculant during the pandemic.

“It was a hard year. The rotational school attendance and extra classes were a challenge.”

She was relieved and proud of her daughter’s results. Ntando Sgudla, who also collected her results, is going to Dubai in March to represent South Africa at the Miss Teen Universe pageant.

“I will study town planning at the University of Pretoria when I return from competing in the pageant,” Sgudla said.

Jabulile Sangweni said it was a tough year for her with the work as a reigning pageant queen and as a matriculant.

“I’m so proud and I’m sure I will bring the crown back,” said Sangweni.

At Pretoria Boys High School, Thabang Masango, Destiny Marivadzi, Kevin Backabana, Khanya Mafani and Hlulani Ringane were proud to have passed their exams.

“I’m not completely happy as I want to get some papers remarked,” Masango said. Jan Wessels’ lip was dragging
on the ground when he left the school.

“I’m just a bit disappointed. I scored 79% for maths,” Wessels said.

Wessels said he scored above 80% average pass marks with three distinctions, one of which was achieving 89% for Afrikaans, but was still unhappy about missing the distinction in maths.

“I’m definitely going to ask for a remark,” he added.

Bradley Rickert skipped out of the school after opening his results.

“Yes, I’m so happy, because I expected the worse,” he said. Rickert said he was excited to start studying agriculture at Grootfontein in Middleburg and dreams of going into the South African cotton-growing business.

– marizkac@citizen.co.za