Middelburg — Steve Tshwete Local Municipality celebrated top academic achievers during the Mayoral Academic Awards Ceremony on 29 January 2026, recognising the municipality’s best-performing learners and schools for their 2025 results.
The ceremony honoured the municipality’s top 10 learners, who received trophies, certificates and gift vouchers for their exceptional academic performance.
Three schools — Bankfontein Secondary School, Middelburg Muslim School, and Middelburg Hoërskool — were recognised for achieving a 100% pass rate in 2025.
Johannes Jakobus Hennop, principal of Middelburg Hoërskool, expressed pride in the school’s achievement, crediting the success to teamwork and community trust. “We are truly blessed to be recognised as one of the best-performing schools in the municipality. This is a team effort from our dedicated teachers to the support we receive from the municipality. Parents also trust us with their children, and we work hard to give them the best education possible,” said Hennop.
He said that the school’s strong results come from structured academic support, including extra classes, weekend sessions, and strict implementation of the annual teaching plan.
On learner motivation, Hennop said the drive ultimately comes from within the learners themselves. “We always encourage learners to dream big. When you have big dreams for your future, it becomes your responsibility to make sure your marks are good enough to take you where you want to go,” he said.
Looking ahead, the school aims to maintain a 100% pass rate, increase its Bachelor’s pass rate from 87% and achieve 100% passes in all subjects.
Executive Mayor Mhlonishwa Masilela said the municipality is proud of learners who continue to raise Steve Tshwete’s profile through academic excellence.
“We are very happy as a municipality to see learners putting Steve Tshwete on the map. Many of them have already been recognised at provincial level, and we are meeting them halfway by honouring them at local government level as well,” said Masilela.
He added that the awards, held annually, serve as an important platform to acknowledge learners’ hard work and dedication.
“These awards motivate learners to push further with their education so that one day they can come back and serve the municipality. They also inspire younger learners in our communities to aim higher and become independent,” he said.
Masilela also encouraged learners who did not perform as expected in 2025 not to lose hope. “There is always another chance. Learners can improve their results, upgrade their marks, or return to school if they want a better future,” he said.
Fariha Carrim, a leaner at Middelburg Muslim School who was named the overall best learner in the municipality, described the recognition as overwhelming and deeply meaningful.
“It feels unreal to be recognised as the top-performing learner across Steve Tshwete. I feel privileged, grateful, and truly blessed,” she said.
Carrim said her success came from working through past examination papers and ensuring she fully understood each subject’s content. “My biggest struggle was procrastination, especially after the June exams when I felt burnt out. But I kept reminding myself that the year was almost over, and I’m proud that I pushed through,” she said.
Her message to other learners is simple: “Find what works for you and try your best every day. As long as you give your all, that’s enough and you will thank yourself later.”
