Four out of six learners who completed their matric studies as Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) bursary holders at the prestigious Lawhill Maritime Centre at Simon’s Town High School, achieved a total of 10 distinctions in the 2017 matric examinations.
In addition, a third of the 24 high schools TNPA has ‘adopted’ across the country achieved pass rates of 80% and above.
Most notable amongst these was Menzi High School in Umlazi, Durban, which clinched a 100% pass rate for the sixth year running.
At Lawhill the top achiever was TNPA bursary holder Lizwi Ncube of Durban, who achieved an A aggregate and six distinctions for Maritime Economics (90%), English First Additional Language, Mathematics, Physical Science, Life Orientation and Life Sciences. He narrowly missed achieving distinctions across the board, with 78% in both Nautical Science and IsiXhosa Home Language. Ncube intends pursuing Human Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in his post-matric studies from 2018.
Deputy Head Boy of Simon’s Town High School Siphelele Ncube, another Durbanite, clinched distinctions in Maritime Economics (88%), Life Orientation (96%) and English First Additional Language (87%). His maritime studies at Cape University of Technology (CPUT) will be sponsored by African Marine Solutions (AMSOL).
Head Girl Katlego Makgato of Nigel achieved a distinction in Life Orientation and was offered a learnership from the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).
Of the remaining TNPA-sponsored matriculants at Lawhill, Sango Matyila of Khayelitsha will pursue post-matric maritime studies at CPUT aided by a Nedbank/SAMSA bursary, Lungisa Zondi of Underberg has applied for bursary funding to study at Sea Safety Training Group (SSTG) based in Cape Town and Anathi Qayiso of Durban is chasing a career in Information Technology.
TNPA has also revealed that in 2018 it will sponsor the tuition and boarding of four new learners at Lawhill, bringing to 81 the total number of learners whose studies it has sponsored there since 2006.
Two of the new recruits are Somila Dyan and Buhle Zondani, both of Khayelitsha. They previously attended Matthew Goniwe High School in Khayelitsha, which TNPA has supported for a number of years through its adopted schools corporate social investment programme.
The other two new bursaries for 2018-2020 are awarded to learners from Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape, where TNPA participated in the Department of Transport’s World Maritime Day 2017 in September. The successful learners are Afika Mvelakubi of Kokstad and Oyisa Langa of Mthatha.
TNPA’s successful, long-running partnership with Lawhill provides essential financial support for deserving but disadvantaged young people in their last three years of secondary schooling, equipping them with skills and knowledge to boost their prospects of post-school employment and career development.
In order to be considered for the Lawhill programme, applicants must achieve a minimum 60 percent in Mathematics, Natural Science and English in Grade 9. Students undergo an intensive interview procedure conducted by the institution.
The matric 2017 performance of TNPA’s 24 adopted schools was as follows:
Durban South Basin (15 TNPA-sponsored schools)
Menzi High – 100%
Isipingo Secondary – 92.2%
Merebank Secondary – 88.8%
PR Pather Secondary – 88.1%
Umlazi Commercial – 85.7%
Umbilo Secondary – 84.9%
Grosvenor Boys Secondary – 81.3%
Zwelibanzi High – 77.6%
Ndukwenhle Secondary – 70.5%
Lamontville High – 65.9%
Fairevale Secondary – 64.2%
Clairewood High – 58.1%
Reunion Secondary – 58.7%
Wentworth High – 57.1%
Umlazi Comtech – 51.1%
Richards Bay
Khombindlela High School (Empangeni) – 87%, with the top two achievers Siphiwokuhle Biyela and Sinqobile Msimango scoring 7 distinctions.
Siphosethu High School – 89%
Greater KZN
Emtshezi High School – 42%
Gauteng
Dr B.W. Vilakazi Secondary School – 72%
Forest High School – 65%
Saldanha
Louwville High (Vredenburg) – 65% – an improvement of 13% since 2016
Masiphathisane – TBC
Mossel Bay
Indwe High School – 64,7%
Hillcrest High School – TBC
TNPA’s bursary scheme and high school programmes support the human resources leg of Transnet’s Market Demand Strategy, which seeks to create and develop core skills that will drive performance and ensure that the State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) has adequate and skilled personnel to deliver on its strategic programmes in the ports.
