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Gugu Mbonambi and Kamini Padayachee
MARITZBURG College pupil Muhammad Ismail, who was recognised as one of the best pupils in the 2011 matric final exams countrywide, had already been snapped up by PwC, one of the leading auditing firms in the country.
Muhammad, 18, who obtained 9 As, came second in quintile 5 in the country. The quintile system ranks schools according to their infrastructure and resources, with those ranked five considered the most privileged.
Muhammad attributed his success to hard work and striking a balance between his social life and studying. He said he would study BComm Accounting at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
“I have always wanted to be a chartered accountant and have already signed a training contract with PricewaterhouseCoopers, which will commence in 2016,” he said.
After qualifying as a chartered accountant, he plans to study further and become a chartered financial analyst.
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“With a chartered financial analyst’s degree, I will be able to become an adviser or a consultant,” he said.
Despite his success, Muhammad was not named the best pupil in KZN, this year’s awards ceremony being marred by controversy as the top 10 KZN pupils were not announced, as had been done in previous years.
Instead, the best pupil from each of the 12 education department districts was recognised.
The Education department’s superintendent-general, Nkosinathi Sishi, said it was about time the department “recognises the context that produces results”.
“If we do not recognise the context that produces the results, you are going to say a child is better than another child when it is not so. This is a new system of recognising achievements. This criteria may not be perfect, but no child is above any other child. We recognised each child on their individual merits,” he said.
Sishi said there were probably more than 5 000 pupils in the country who obtained 100 percent in certain subjects, and asked how the department was to have selected a top pupil from that list.
Muhammad Ismail will study BComm Accounting, with the hopes of becoming a Charted Accountant. Picture: Gcina Ndwalane
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The top pupils per district are:
l Umlazi – Elena Aiello, Durban Girls’ High School.
l Amajuba – Nabeelah Moola, Lincoln Heights Secondary.
l Uthungulu – Karin de Wet, Richardsbaai Hoërskool.
l lembe – Ashill Chiranjan, Stanger Manor Secondary.
l Umkhanyakude – Nhlakanipho Ndlazi, Zenzeleni Secondary.
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l Uthukela – Hannah McKay, Ladysmith High School.
l Pinetown – Alicia Naidoo, Verulam Secondary.
l Sisonke – Jithil Mohan, Kokstad College.
l Ugu – Qaphela Mashalaba, Port Shepstone High School.
l Umgungundlovu – Muhammad Ismail, Maritzburg College.
l Umzinyathi – Siyanda Mbatha, Maceba Secondary.
l Zululand – Jason Gaskell, Vryheid High School.
