DEATH, this is how the life of Jonas Moshabi (18) from Seritarita Secondary School in Limpopo was turned upside down days before writing his matric exams.
Jonas' father died from cancer, and this tore him apart to the extent that he struggled to stay focused on his studies.
When the ups and downs of the hospital became too much, Jonas said he had to move in with his mother because he couldn't bear to see his dad in pain.
"My father's death was something I battled with a lot. It was tricky for me because I had to deal with the emotions of losing him but also focus on my studies. It was not easy and challenging.
"My dad was battling cancer, but everything happened so fast, and it was sudden. I used to stay with him during that period, and he would be in and out of the hospital. But as time progressed, I had no choice but to relocate to live with my mother because I couldn't bear seeing him like that," he said.
Time spent away from his dad was hard, especially thinking of the pain he was in.
Jonas said he knew he had to be strong.
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His father died before his mid-year exams. While this tore him apart, his father's death became a motivation to make him proud.
His dedication and thriving for good marks saw him bag a spot on the Top NSC examinations achiever, walking away with third place in Quintile 2.
"I was doing it for him, and he was my motivation. I had to do my best. It was either I performed my best in my academics or I got rejected from universities.
"I want to be a doctor, and I know that the competition is tight, especially at UCT (University of Cape Town), where you have to submit all your cards throughout the entire year. I knew if I slacked and didn't study hard, I might ruin my chances of going to UCT and making my dad proud," he said.
Speaking about his results, Jonas said all his hard work finally paid off.
"I'm excited. This has always been a dream for me. For the past 12 years, this is what I've been working towards, and today, I am here. I am happy. All it took was to study hard, and if I ever felt anxious during an exam, I'd practise my breathing so that I could be able to think," he said.
