Differently abled matriculants claimed their place among the 40 top achievers recognised at the 2025 ministerial breakfast on Monday.
After years of living with muscular dystrophy, undergoing multiple operations and attending special schools, Takunda Muchuweni from Jan Kriel School in Cape Town finally had her moment of recognition.
“I feel very excited and overwhelmed to be here. I hope to achieve well in all my subjects, especially business studies, life sciences and mathematical literacy,” said Muchuweni.
Her mother, Tamari, who attended the event, described the moment as “a testament to secret tears being rewarded in public”.
“She was born with the condition, but we only discovered it when she began missing developmental milestones and we consulted specialists. It was a lot to handle,” she said.
“I had seen her develop normally for about a year, but as a new mother I accepted her as she was. She attended a special crèche, received tremendous support and later moved on to other good schools.”
Tamari said Muchuweni underwent major back surgery while in high school and spent a month in hospital, but none of the challenges derailed her. She was later selected as a junior councillor in Cape Town.
“It is a leadership programme where she had to launch and run a community project throughout the year. Her project focuses on collecting plastic for recycling and is still ongoing,” she said.
“It is a proud moment and one of gratitude. I am grateful that God gave us the gift to nurture her. This is truly a case of secret tears being rewarded in public.”
Amazed Ngidi, from St Martin’s School for the Deaf in KwaZulu-Natal, said while she faced numerous challenges, she also received strong support.
“I faced many challenges, but I overcame them. I would like to thank my school and teachers for supporting us with different resources,” she said.
Ngidi said she hopes to study education, citing a shortage of teachers for the deaf.
“I have many friends at school, but I had to isolate myself to focus on studying. Sometimes my friends thought I did not like them anymore,” she said.
“Communication at home is difficult because I am the only deaf person in my family. Sometimes I feel misunderstood, but they love me.”
Nondumiso Mkhize, from Fulton School for the Deaf in KwaZulu-Natal, said she hopes she performed well in South African Sign Language, which she described as the most challenging subject.
“We studied seven subjects, and SA Sign Language was the most difficult. It is a long and demanding process,” she said.
Mkhize said she wants to study law to break barriers and advocate for the deaf community.
“I also want to help my family. Not all of them have formal education or stable jobs and depend on pensions and grants. I want to make sure I can provide for them.”
