Meet ‘Judge Judy’ of Ikageng

Maletsatsi Misapitso used to walk in the pouring rain with her broken shoes and a borrowed school bag on her way to Keotshepile Primary School, unaware that she would one day be Ikageng’s top-performing matric learner.
The 18-year-old from B.A Seobi High School achieved 5 distinctions in matric and this has enabled her to register for an LLB degree at the NWU PUK. However, despite the triumphant achievement, getting bursaries to fund her degree has been a struggle and she spent the whole of last week standing in a long queue for her NSFAS bursary to be approved. She says she has not received any feedback on other bursaries.
“I struggled to apply for the NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) funding because there were some incomplete documents. There have been so many complications in terms of funding. Sometimes, I got despondent and thought my hard work was in vain. I would be happy if there were bursaries for performing students to help me through my studies.”
Achieving 5 distinctions was not a bed of roses for the law fanatic.
“I started stressing about my matric results 5 days before they were released because I had a migraine throughout the exams. I could not study properly and sometimes took short cuts. My dad brought headache pills every day but nothing helped. But, what helped me to pass is that I started studying from the beginning of the year. I also studied on Saturdays and ended up being a tutor for business studies and assisted struggling learners. My teacher, Mr Segomotso, says I am the first learner at the school ever to receive a distinction for business studies. My classmates used to say I should not stress because I know I have passed, but, I stressed more about the quality of the results.”
The Vergeet My Nie resident says she applied for an LLB degree because it was always her dream to become an advocate. Her love for law started at a very young age.
“When I was in primary school, I used to watch Judge Judy. I liked to utter ‘objection your honour’. I used to see myself defending someone and standing in court with confidence. That once got me into trouble when I defended my primary school friend from being bullied. I found some school girls beating her up. I intervened with my loud mouth, but I was slapped and also got a black eye from the beating.
I was afraid to go to school on Monday because of the heavy beating. Even at home, I am the one who speaks on behalf of my brothers so they can get clothes and other stuff that my mother doesn’t want to buy”.
Maletsatsi comes from a strict family. Her mother, Mapule, is a cleaner at the SAPS and her father, Tebogo, is currently unemployed and relies on contract jobs. She stays with her two younger brothers, Tshepo and Reitumetse, her cousin Relebogile and half-brother Gaolaolwe.
“My mother did not want me to play outside in the streets. In Gr. 9 she started grounding me because she was afraid I would neglect my books,” she said.

However, her passion for education was ignited by her grandfather, Petrus Motlhabe who passed away when she was in Gr. 4.
“I can vividly remember how he used to polish my school shoes the day before school. He used to help me with homework.
When he passed away, I felt so alone because he used to share stories and was always there when I needed to talk about anything, especially education-related.
I took a long time to get over it, but I eventually made peace with it.
It was difficult to make ends meet, but he tried his best to make me happy. I was his favourite grandchild,” she says with a chuckle.
In 2009, another person close to her, her sister Lebogang, died from meningitis. Her sister’s death was traumatic and she says she started isolating herself from other people.
“She was my only friend; even though we used to fight a lot we loved each other.”
Maletsatsi believes that, if she could pass matric so well, it is possible for other learners to emulate her achievement.
“My advice to this year’s grade 12s is to take their studies seriously from the beginning of the year. Studying should be a habit. They should be flexible, try all study methods until they find one that is suitable and effective.
They should also identify their weak points. If they encounter a difficult subject, they should not only focus on that subject because they will fail the other subjects. They should also stop partying and going to taverns until the wee hours of the morning, but should focus on their studies.”
Furthermore, the philosophical learner says, “They should not treat every challenge that comes their way as a stop sign. They should take it as motivation to continue striving to achieve their goals.”
The other important thing is to obey and listen to their parents. “Sometimes, we think we know better, but our parents know better than us. Everything that the learners do, they should make God the centre of their lives and studies. Praying is a therapy. Don’t wait for people to tell you to study because that should come from within. You should do all your homework and ask for assistance from the teachers,” she advises.
Maletsatsi, who used to hate her mother for grounding her, says she is grateful and now knows it was for her own good.
“I used to run to my dad thinking he would be lenient, but he was also strict. My mother used to say I am going to build a house for her. My parents didn’t have everything that money can buy, but they ensured that education came first,” she said solemnly.