A school named after the late deputy president David Mabuza has once again shone, producing some of the nation’s top performers in technical mathematics and technical sciences, earning the plaudits of Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube.
Gwarube’s team singled out some of the school’s pupils at the announcement of the National Senior Certificate results on Monday evening.
The DD Mabuza Comprehensive School, situated in Kasiboshwa village, outside Malelane in the Nkomazi Municipality, dominated in the technical categories alongside Masibumbane High, a KwaZulu-Natal-based school.
The DD Mabuza Comprehensive School produced the top pupil in technical sciences, Brendan Group, who emerged as the overall winner and eclipsed all other matriculants countrywide.
In technical mathematics, Asanda Ndlela of Masibumbane High claimed first place nationally, followed by Khanya Bongani Khoza and Sheriff Brendan Group – both from DD Mabuza Comprehensive School – who took second and third place, respectively.
Established in 1999, the no-fee secondary school was named after Mabuza during his tenure as Mpumalanga’s MEC for Education. The late former deputy president was a schoolteacher who later became a principal. The school named after him registered its first matric class in 2003.
Principal Mbongeni Ngomane told Sunday World that the latest accolades reinforced a pattern of sustained excellence that began shortly after he was appointed in 2018, when the school recorded its first 100% matric pass rate.
“The continuation of producing strong and improving results really makes me feel joyous,” Ngomane said.
Since 2018, the school’s performance has fluctuated from a near-perfect matric pass rate to a drop in performance around 2022. It attained a 100% pass rate in 2018, 98.1% in 2019 and 94.3% in 2020, followed by a slump to 78.8% in 2021 and 67.3% in 2022. The school rebounded with 77% in 2023, 86% in 2024 and a sharp rise to 96.5% last year.
Ngomane attributed the improved performance to relentless planning behind the scenes, often stretching far beyond normal working hours.
“We used to discuss schoolwork even late at night, planning for the best performance in the school. In the end, what we planned was achieved,” he said, paying tribute to a late colleague he credited as instrumental in shaping the school’s performance trajectory.
Over the years, multiple pupils have been recognised at national and provincial levels, most notably in technical mathematics and technical sciences. Ngomane credits a tightly bonded leadership and teaching collective, which he refers to as “Team DD”, supported by district and circuit officials, the school governing body and various government departments.
“I’ve always called them ‘Team DD’. We are working with support from the district, circuit, SGB and different departments, which makes us not wonder but feel secured.”
Today, the school serves 957 pupils with a staff complement of 35 teachers and offers a broad technical and academic curriculum, including technical mathematics, technical sciences, mechanical, electrical and civil technologies, hospitality studies, information technology and computer applications technology.
Ngomane said the school’s technical focus is reinforced through structured afternoon classes, weekend programmes, holiday classes, and intensive camps, alongside a culture he describes as spiritually grounded.
“Prayer is the very key in our school. We fight demons with strong prayers from prayer warriors. Morning devotion is conducted daily. Our culture is that everything we do, we put God first,” he said. “We respect what God gave us. He gave us work, so we must work. We ask whatever we want through prayers, and we receive.”
Mabuza’s family has welcomed the 96.5% result.
“As a family, we are honoured that the school has been doing well over the years and continues to shine his legacy as a man who was serious about education,” said his daughter, Lindeni Mabuza.
“The improvement demonstrates the hard work of the teachers and the commitment of the learners. We now wish to set them a target of 100%.”
