While many pupils who wrote their final 2010 matric examinations battled to obtain a single distinction, the situation was completely different with one of the pupils from Mbilwi Secondary School, Thanzi Ramukosi (18) of Tshifulanani village.

His father, Mr Khathutshelo Ramukosi, told Mirror that when Thanzi told them early last year that his aim was to obtain distinctions in mathematics and physical science, they thought he had set himself unachievable goals. But he proved them wrong. Not only did he obtain distinctions in the two subjects, but he scored 100% in both of them and obtained distinctions in the remaining six subjects.

He received a top achievers’ award in the form of a trophy from the Department of Education´s MEC when the latter was announcing the results at Bolivia Lodge in Polokwane two weeks ago. When asked what the secret behind his success was, Thanzi was quick to mention that it was all about dedication, discipline and knowing what one wants to be in life.

He said that he was going to study chemical engineering at the University of Cape Town. He further revealed that he had been approached by a number of institutions who wanted to offer him bursaries, saying he was still undecided as to which offer to take.

Thanzi´s parents threw a party for him at their Tshifulanani home last Saturday as a token of appreciation for a job well done. Speaker after speaker who shared the podium during the ceremony described Thanzi as a torchbearer of the Ramukosi family. His father is a land reform advisor in the Department of Agriculture, while his mother is a teacher at the Pfano Primary School in Ngwenani ya Mapholi.