Garden boy (18) gets merit

The former Sebenta adult education pupil, 18-year-old Bakhona Nxumalo of Manzana Nazarene primary school near Dvokolwako, became one of only four pupils who got merits at the rural school.

In 2005, Bakhona defied all odds by enrolling in grade one at the age of 14. The last born child in a family of 10, the orphaned gardener approached school principal Makhenyeza Nxumalo and asked that he be allowed to register for his first grade despite him having no money for school fees.

Bakhona, who earns E200 monthly tending the garden of one Derrick Dlamini on a part time basis, told the principal that he had four chickens at home, which he would use to pay for his studies.

"He pleaded that the school charges him one chicken per year until all four chickens had been given to the school.

"He told me that he would study until standard two, after which he would leave school because he would no longer have any chicken with which to pay," the principal said.

Nxumalo said the boy’s desperation for education touched him so much he decided to register him under the government fund for orphans. Bakhona then joined the school in March 2005 and proved to be a brilliant pupil, thus during the second term he was promoted to the next grade, where he attained position four.

The following year (2006), he was also promoted to standard three after spending only the first term in standard one, skipping standard two in the process. In 2007, he did his standard four before proceeding to standard five last year, where he was always on top of the class. "Bakhona has been working hard since his first day in this school and we as teachers knew that he would pass very well in standard five," Nxumalo said.

Bakhona will be attending Mhlatane High School this year as he goes to form one.