Against All Odds: Learner with Muscular Dystrophy Makes SA's Top Matric Achievers

A differently abled learner from the class of 2025, Takunda Muchuweni, has defied the odds to be named among the country's top 40 matric achievers, earning a place on the national stage despite living with muscular dystrophy. Muchuweni, who attends Jan Kriel School in the Western Cape, said being named a top achiever felt unreal.

Reflecting on her matric year, Muchuweni described it as one of the toughest periods of her life. "I'll say it was definitely a tough year. There is a lot of pressure because all of a sudden you're in matric and everyone is expecting you to do well and to study, study, study," she said. She added that ongoing health challenges made the year even more difficult. "Sometimes I experience a lot of health problems. I was in pain, and that really influenced my studying and my mood."

Despite the challenges, Muchuweni said her preparation began years earlier. "All the preparation from Grade 10 and 11, all the way leading up to this moment, really means a lot," she said. "I just told myself, 'I have to get through it. I have to believe where I started.'" Muchuweni hopes to achieve four distinctions and plans to study psychology.

Muchuweni's mother, Tamari Muchuweni, said doctors became concerned about her daughter's condition when she began missing developmental milestones. "We went to doctors and eventually to Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, where they did extensive tests," she said. "That's when we were told she had congenital myopathy, which causes muscle weakness."

The journey included years of physiotherapy and specialized schooling. Despite health challenges, Takunda went on to become a junior counsellor in Cape Town and launched a successful community project focused on plastic recycling. The project earned her an award for best leadership initiative and is set to continue