A student from KwaCeza in Ulundi, KwaZulu Natal, who came second in the quantile 4 category of schools wants to study medicine at the University of Cape Town. Simlindele Khumalo's achievement was announced yesterday by Minister Angie Motshekga at Fairlands, west of Johannesburg. He comes from Ondini High School but sat for his exams at Masibumbane High School.

ACHIEVED SEVEN DISTINCTIONS

Simlindele said he was shocked when he got a call from the Department of Basic Education inviting him to the top achiever's breakfast with Motshekga in Gauteng.

"Getting that surprising call from the minister's office was amazing. I was in disbelief at first but realised this was real when they gave me more information," he said. He passed all his seven subjects with distinctions. His mother, Scelokuhle Khumalo, who is a teacher by profession told ZiMoja that she was still finding it hard to believe that her son is a top achiever. "It has not sunk in that I gave birth to a genius. I was surprised when the KZN department of education officials later came to my house and told us they had been sent by Minister Motshekga to deliver a message to us that we must join her in Johannesburg for a special occasion since Simlindele was one of the top matriculants nationally. 

"I'm grateful to God for having given me strength to raise my son to be what he is today. There is a long journey ahead but I have faith in him that he will be able to survive in tertiary and become a doctor as he wishes. What makes me prouder is the fact that his father is still alive but I managed to raise him alone . The world must know that I raised him all by myself and his father has always been an absent father," she said.

HE IS GOING TO STUDY MEDICINE

Simlindele told ZiMoja that he was going to study medicine so that he can be able to offer quality healthcare in rural areas. All the universities that he applied to study at have accepted him.

"As a child, he always told me he wanted to a doctor. Simlindele doesn't care about everything that his generation is obsessed with. The only time he left the house was when he was going to meet with his study group," his mother said.

The shy Simlindele said, "I'm very happy and I'm grateful to my mother, my uncles and teachers who made sure that I got everything to achieve the good marks so that I can go and further my studies at UCT. I promise to make my mother proud and achieve everything while she is still alive."