HISTORY MADE: CLASS OF 2025 ACHIEVES 88%

Tribute to matric resilience

- SIYABONGA SITHOLE, GENEVIEVE SERRA and MURRAY SWART

TAKUNDA Muchweni is flying the flag high for Jan Kriel School in Kuils River, having been recognised as one of the top 42 learners in the country.

The release of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results saw some of the country's top achievers share their stories of resilience and determination.

Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube celebrated the Class of 2025 during her annual breakfast event in Fairlands, Johannesburg, yesterday morning.

Takunda's story is testament to the strength of the human spirit, as she navigated her educational journey while overcoming significant obstacles due to her disability, including a recent hospital stay.

Her mother, Tamari Muchweni, speaking on the challenges her 18-year-old daughter had to face, revealed that resilience paved the way for Takunda's academic achievements. "We are really beyond excited, but more importantly, we are also grateful that we could be here today. This is a dream we never thought could be achieved due to our child's disability, which affects her health and day-to-day function," she said.

"There were nights she could not sleep because she was in pain. However, throughout that, she was studying. She was communicating with her teachers. We had to bring her books so she could study while in the hospital," the mother said.