Tembisa learners flocked into various filling stations early on Friday morning to buy newspapers to check their matric results.
At midnight scores of learners could not bear the thought of going to sleep without knowing their results. Many of them waited since 11pm at filling stations for the early delivery of newspapers.
Thembani Gwaxa said he got to the garage at 6am and was excited to have passed.
“I couldn’t come at midnight because of safety concerns. I didn’t have transport and there’s a lot crime around Tembisa, it is not safe to walk to the garage around 12am,” said Gwaxa.
The 18-year-old achiever said due to financial constraints at home he would not be going to varsity. He is planning to take a gap year in 2018 and look for a job to assist his struggling mother.
“I want to thank my mother for encouraging me to study harder and my study partner Thato for the countless days of not sleeping but studying.
Asked why they never used the SMS service system, many learners said the system was useless and inconvenient.
Lerato Maponopono and Lindiwe Ranoto said results sent via SMS should be issued earlier before papers hit the store shelves.
“On Monday I registered for the SMS service and I got a message back confirming my registration but at midnight I was at the garage trying to get my results because my results were not sent via SMS,” said Maponopono.
She is disappointed that she only received an SMS after 6am when she already knew her results.
Ranoto said she was very happy to have found her exam number in the paper, while Maponopono said she was both excited and nervous as she will start a new life at varsity.
All learners are now waiting to see which schools did best in Tembisa.
