Hoërskool Menlo Park head girl Sheliza De Wet has been named as Gauteng’s most outstanding performer in the matric results of the class of 2023.
Continuing on the theme of girl power after Rhenish Girls High’s Melissa Muller was crowned Number 1 out of all the 700,000 learners who sat for the matric exams in October last year, De Wet outperformed 127,697 of her peers in the Gauteng province, attaining near perfect scores in all her subjects.
The Hoërskool Menlo Park head girl, who said she was still overwhelmed by her results, scored:
– 297 out of 300 in Accounting
– 293 in English First Additional Language
– 291 in Physical Sciences
– 289 in her Afrikaans Home Language
– 286 in Life Orientation
– 282 in Mathematics
– 281 in History
– 280 in Life Sciences
”I am very thankful and I am still overwhelmed, I didn’t see this coming,” she told IOL News during a short interview at the sidelines of the provincial matric results announcement at the Microsoft headquarters in Sandton.
Reflecting on the past year, she said her biggest challenge was managing her time and also maintaining a balance between her academics and her duties as the school head girl.
She thanked her parents, school and teachers for the support throughout the year, and said she would be studying medicine at the University of Pretoria this year.
”I couldn’t have done it without them,” she said.
De Wet’s school, Hoërskool Menlo Park, was also named as third best performing school in the Gauteng province.
The only two schools to perform better than hers, were the Hoërskool Garsfontein and Hoërskool Waterkloof - who were first and second place respectively.
Wian van Rooyen of Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool and Jean Goodey of Hoërskool Oos-Moot, were ranked second and third in the province, behind De Wet.
Another learner with outstanding matric results was Lebogang Selepe of Hateng Secondary School, who attained 100% in maths and physical science.
“I am so excited really, but I must say, it was expected. There was lots of hard work and sleepless nights,” said the young man from an informal settlement in Mamelodi.
Selepe explained that he was mischievous young boy until he changed his ways around Grade 10.
“I started achieving top results in Grade 10, because at first I was not a top achiever.
“I don’t know what it was, there is a time when you are bit naughty as a bot and you start to take education more seriously.
“The things that motivated me was because it is satisfying to me to do so well, you will want to make everyone proud,” said Selepe, who will be studying medicine at the University of Cape Town.
Selepe’s mother, Dikeledi, said she was so overjoyed by her sons performance.
“I applaud him for how he was dedicated to his school work and the effort he put into it.
“Everything that he has achieved is not because of me, it is his own hard work throughout.
“He only slept four hours a day to dwell on his work but I can assure you, he went to school seven days a week,” said the proud mother.
The mum said he was proud of his son, who is the second oldest of four boys in his family.
“What I also appreciate about him is that he believes in prayer. I am so proud of him.
“I want him to understand that university is the start of his journey to success. He must not be derailed by tertiary life because he did not have friends in Grade 12, he was always focused.
“He used to study alone without any distractions so I hope it can continue like that,” said the proud mum.
In terms of the best performing learners at township schools, Lethabo Mahlangu of Rakgotso Secondary School in Hamanskraal, Pretoria, Blessing Matabane of Ponelopele Oracle Secondary in Kaalfontein and Sanele Diutlwileng of Daliwonga Secondary in Dube, Soweto, were the best performing three learners.
Mahlangu, as the best performing learner at a township school scored:
– 300 out of 300 in Mathematics
– 293 in Geography
– 291 in Physical Sciences
– 280 in Life Sciences
– 261 in English First Additional Language
– 252 in Life Orientation
– 243 in Sesotho Home Language
The best performing schools in the township were Raymond Mhlaba Secondary in Tshepisong, Diepsloot Combined School in Diepsloot and Kgatoentle Secondary in Ga Rankuwa.
Some of the top individual awards handed to the best performing learners were as follows:
Accounting - Sibonelo Mkhaliphi, Mpontsheng Secondary
Life Sciences - Marika Taljaard, Hoerskool Montana
History - Florah Maculuva, Jordan Secondary School
Economics - Ntokozo Coka, St Martin De Porres Combined School
Geography - Wandile Mkhwanazi, Orlando West Secondary School
Geography - Thandolwethu Zwane, Aha-Thuto Secondary
Physical Sciences - Lebogang Selepe, Phateng Secondary School
Mathematics - Lebogang Selepe, Phateng Secondary School
Mathematics - Jean Goodey, Hoërskool Oos-Moot
IOL News