Puseletso Malobola, a young woman from Soshanguve, faces an uphill battle to obtain her matric certificate after it was withheld due to an outstanding school debt. Puseletso Malobola, 21, a former matric learner from a secondary school in Soshanguve, struggles to obtain her matric certificate. SUPPLIED
RAPULA MOATSHE
Puseletso Malobola, 21, a former matric learner from a secondary school in Soshanguve, had big dreams of pursuing a career in the hospitality industry.
However, her plans were put on hold when her matric certificate allegedly went missing at her school in 2021.
Her situation took a turn for the worse when her school refused to release her matric results and certificate due to an outstanding debt of R650.
The debt was related to the School Improvement Plan (SIP), a programme aimed at enhancing learner academic performance.
“I couldn't collect my matric certificate due to financial struggles. So, in 2023 I went to school to collect my statement and matric certificate. They insisted that they can't give me my certificate because I owe them R650,” she said.
After much effort, Puseletso finally managed to scrape together R650, which she used to settle the outstanding SIP payment.
However, her relief was short-lived as a new challenge emerged when school officials dropped another bombshell, informing her that uncollected certificates were no longer stored at the school.
She was told to travel to the district office in Wonderboom to collect her matric certificate.
Her frustration continued to grow as she arrived at the district office, only to be told that matric certificates weren't stored there after all.
In a baffling turn of events, she was instructed to return to her school to collect the certificate, essentially sending her back to square one.
"I went back to the school and they told me I need to re-apply for another certificate. That's why I am reaching out for help," she said.
She had always dreamed of pursuing a career in hospitality, however, her plans were put on hold due to the missing matric certificate, which has become a major obstacle in her path to achieving her goals.
In a desperate attempt to move forward, Puseletso considered “repeating my matric just so I could get a new certificate".
Her story bears a striking resemblance to that of Emmanuel Moiloa, a former matric learner from a secondary school in Temba township.
Last week, Moiloa shared his own frustrating experience, where the school refused to release his matric certificate due to an unpaid SIP fee of R600.
His struggles began in 2022, when after completing his matric year he was unable to afford the outstanding SIP fee due to his family's financial constraints.
Gauteng Education Department spokesperson Steve Mabona said he will comment on Moiloa’s matter once schools reopen. He is yet to give insight into Puseletso’s situation.
Education expert Hendrick Makaneta condemned the schools’ practice of withholding report cards due to unpaid fees, labelling it as both unjust and unlawful.
He said that learners have the right to access their academic records, regardless of outstanding fees.
“There is no reason why the schools should not give learners report cards or any other results. In this case the school should release those results,” he said.
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za
