While other matriculants started their final examinations this week, a former top matriculant from Carletonville is still having problems because the bursary promised to him by the provincial government failed to materialise.

According to Mr Sipho Mlalazi, his son, Njabulo Peter, was the top performer at Wonderfontein High School during the 2025 matric examinations.

After they saw the Gauteng Premier’s Office advertising that all top matriculants would get bursaries, Njabulo Peter immediately applied.

“I am a widower and only parent, as my wife, Hilda, died in a car accident in 2023.

My son excelled even though he lost his mother and really deserved this help,” says Sipho.

Because the bursary stipulations included that the premier’s office would pay for studies at private tertiary institutions, Njabulo Peter enrolled at an IT college in Pretoria this year.

“He went to study there as they ensure that graduates will get employed. We kept in contact with the provincial government to make sure that they will pay for his studies, and they continued to say that they will,” says Sipho.

When the Mlalazis, however, continued to ask when the bursary would be paid, an official allegedly told them that their policy had changed around May, which meant that only top achievers studying at government institutions would now get bursaries.

“Why did they change their policy halfway through the year and not honour their original commitment to my son?” asks Sipho.

Although Njabulo Peter currently excels at the institution where he studies, he will only be able to get a bursary because of his good marks next year.

In the meantime, his father now has to get money from somewhere to keep his studies going for the year. He is currently considering selling some equipment from his business to get this money.

The Herald emailed the Gauteng Premier’s spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga, about the matter, but received no response by printing time.