A 2023 matriculant, Zandile Mavimbela, detailed how she completed her national senior certificate with a bachelor pass despite growing up in foster care after losing both parents as a child and then her younger sister to suicide.
Mavimbela, 18, was among 250 matric pupils who were hosted by the Gauteng department of social development on Thursday in a send-off ceremony.
The event, hosted by MEC Mbali Hlophe, was to give motivation and encouragement to social development beneficiaries who formed part of the matric class of 2023. Among them were those who grew up in foster care, went through teenage pregnancy and those in government-funded childcare centres.
Seated in her school uniform with bright orange hair, a soft-spoken Mavimbela said her mother died when she was three years old and her father when she was nine. It was her grandmother who approached social workers to be her foster parent.
“I grew up in Duduza and my grandmother filled every space as both parents. She was there for me and it was a nice and lovely upbringing.”
Mavimbela was one of three sisters, however, her little sister committed suicide in 2022 after being bullied in school.
“She was 13 years old at the time and the bullies were older — around my age. We all went to the same school. I don’t know how to explain the feeling, but losing her was so painful. I just wanted to stay home and cry all the time. We went to the same school and I saw the children who bullied her and it was unbearable. However, after my sister’s passing, some of the bullies eventually dropped out completely,” she said.
Mavimbela, who performed well in English and isiZulu, said she plans to study hospitality in the second semester. Her biggest dream is to provide for her 73-year-old grandmother.
“She was so happy when she saw my results that she even wanted to throw me a party. There are so many things I want to do for her. I first want to build her a house and give her whatever she needs, whenever she needs it. I also had a lot of support from my older sister who always jumps whenever I need something. She is also very proud,” she said.
But for pupils such as Xander Cillier*, life was filled with abuse, drug-addicted parents, suicide attempts and being convicted of rape.
Cillier, who grew up in Springs, was taken from his parents when he was 10 as he and his younger sister faced years of abuse.
“My parents are what they call a ‘dysfunctional family’. They were using drugs, abused me and my sister — not just physically or emotionally but in other ways also.”
He was moved to Kids Haven in Brakpan, but in the same year he had to move in to Mother’s Nest youth centre because the first centre was overcrowded.
After spending five years at Mother’s Nest, he was again moved to Soshanguve Secure Care Centre at age 15 after he was arrested and charged with rape. Cillier said he was found guilty and was sentenced in March 2022 at age 17 to serve two years and seven months.
However, he remained at Soshanguve Secure Care Centre, a rehabilitation centre, as he was too young to be sent to prison. His matter will be heard on his 20th birthday in August this year, where he will hear whether he will be imprisoned or placed under a different type of correctional supervision.
“When I was younger, I won’t lie, I was very suicidal because I did not like my past. My past was haunting me the whole time. I tried to end it a few times and I have even been to ICU because of it. I realised God doesn’t want me to go and has a plan for me.”
Cillier was unhappy with his matric marks as he failed two subjects due to the disappearance of his assignments and tests. He said his aunt paid for teachers to assist him at the centre. However, they were not qualified to teach most of his subjects, he claimed.
“I would like to rewrite my exams, but it will cost R2,000 per exam and I don’t want to waste my aunt’s money. What if my exams go missing again? I only have one more chance to do this.”
In the meantime, he has enrolled in an online coding course at Codecademy, where he hopes to develop games and gaming apps and pursue a career in the industry. His main priority is to get his sister out of a care centre and to provide for her.
“Being in Soshanguve helped me see myself as someone worth more than what I have experienced. No-one has ever been able to raise me to love myself more than I do now. My life is still miserable, but in the meantime, I thank God for putting me at the Soshanguve centre. God gave me a second chance. Even though I did not commit the crime I am convicted of, I accept it and also wish the victim well in life.”
Young mother Thembilihle Hlatshwayo from Duduza defied all odds in passing matric. She was raised by her father after she was neglected by her mother. An emotional and teary Hlatshwayo told TimesLIVE Premium that she was grateful to her father and aunt who stepped up as parents.
“My dad showed me the love of both a mother and a father. I love him because my mother wasn’t there and always made me feel like I was not her child. My aunt, dad and my grandmother were there for me. I have accepted that my mother doesn’t want me. I don’t talk to her at all. I don’t even have her number,” she said.
But in grade 11, she received news that she was pregnant and feared that she would get kicked out of home and school. After giving birth in May last year, her main concern was that she would be unable to complete school and provide for her son.
“It was a stressful year. I would sometimes miss school to go for doctor’s check-ups. I worried more about my future after I gave birth in May, just before June and preliminary exams. However, my aunt was there for me and supported me and looked after my son so I could go to school.”
Her dedication paid off and when matric results were released earlier this month, Hlatshwayo said she cried when she discovered she achieved a bachelor pass.
“I performed well. My aunt and my dad are very happy because they didn’t think that I would survive school with all the challenges that I faced. I cried when I saw my results. I was very excited and happy. I plan on studying edu-care or office administration,” Hlatshwayo said.
*Xander Cillier is not his real name as he was arrested and convicted as a minor.
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