uMfolozi Awards Best-Performing Matriculants

Excitement and pride were on the faces of learners, parents and educators when the uMfolozi Municipality honoured the top achieving matriculants at the 2019 Matric Excellence awards and Bursary Programme held at the uMfolozi Municipal Hall on Friday 31 January 2020. 

Municipal Manager Mr Khulumakwakhe Gamede said the programme is aimed to award top achieving learners as well as most improved and the best performing schools of the year 2019.

“We acknowledge and congratulate learners, schools that obtained a 100% pass rate, and the most improved schools. This is also aimed at highlighting Operation Sukuma Sakhe which advocate and urges partnership among government departments for our schools and learners to do well,” said the Municipal Manager.

His Worship the Mayor Cllr Smangaliso Mgenge congratulated the 2019 beneficiaries, best performing schools and most improved schools.

“Out of hardship we expect a good product, fire does not destroy gold but it purifies it, we are happy that the most disadvantaged schools produced good results. We honour our best performing learners with bursaries and hope that these bursaries become a motivation for new matriculants to study hard,” said the Mayor. 

His Worship further said the learners are now working towards being independent members of society.

“Education is the route to a better life, so I urge different stakeholders to support our local schools and education as a whole. I am also proud of the two learners from our jurisdiction Mthobisi Ndlovu and Nothando Khambule for doing well and put uMfolozi on the map. We will also give each of them R10 000 each, so that they will go out and be our ambassadors, go and represent uMfolozi Municipality at a tertiary level,” said the Mayor Mgenge.

The Mayor further urged education inspectors and officials to allow the school functionality programme to be conducted every day and not just in January.

On behalf of uMfolozi Circuit Management, the Chief Education Specialist Mr DD Biyela thanked the municipality for hosting an event that honours the learners and schools for their hard work.

“We are proud of our learner’s and teacher’s performance. To reach matric is a huge achievement because most of the learners drop out along the way, we are therefore thankful to our parents who guide these learners. Education Minister Angie Motshekga once said KZN province is like the elephant which runs with rabbits if these principals were not there with their great commitment and continued support we wouldn’t reach this level. We positively contributed in our District with double 100% in 205 schools,” said Mr Biyela. 

Dlemudlemu high school Principal Mr JV Fakazi said the teacher’s commitment and discipline of the leaners contributed towards the school becoming the best performing school under the uMfolozi Jurisdiction in 2019. “Discipline and teacher’s commitment reaps good results, we are also thankful for the passion showed by the class of 2019.”

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries Sbonelo Gumede from Isiphephelo high school who obtained position 5 on the top ten list, thanked his family for the continued support and ensuring that they allocate enough time for him to study.  Gumede will be going to study Civil Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Mthobisi Ndlovu from Sphephelo High School topped the list of top ten learners who did well under the uMfolozi jurisdiction. The most improved schools were Gijimani High School, Mkhosi High School, Dondotha High School and Nhangwini high School.

Zakhekahke Secondary, Mundi Secondary, Nhlangwini Secondary and DlemuDlemu Secondary School received laptops, trophies and the certificates for obtaining a 100% pass rate for the 2019 matric year.

Manqama High School, Khanyiselisizwe High School, Ekupheleni Secondary school, uYengo Secondary school, Mningi high and Welabasha high school received certificates of excellence and trophies,

The awarding ceremony was graced by the presence of Circuit Management, uMfolozi Speaker Cllr Dan Mfusi, Deputy Mayor Cllr Smangele Thabethe, ward Councillors, school principals, learners from different schools and parents.