ADVOCATE. Zuma will never be my role model

It is a very few, brave people who would vouch for the president of the Republic of South Africa at the moment, and MATHAPELO LETECIA SHABALALA is not one of them. The William Hills learner wants to be a top lawyer and, at present, boys are not her fancy. She is a confirmed book worm who hip hops during moments of rest away from her books and she ardently despises her township. Here she shares her deepest inner feelings with Thembi Masser.

Mathapelo is an 18 year-old wide awake Etwatwa resident who loathes her place of residence with fervour. If she had a choice she would leave Etwatwa yesterday.

The stylish, suave grade 12 learner attends to her education at the William Hills Secondary School in Actonville, Benoni.

Mathapelo is passionate about languages, particularly English, but has a soft spot for life orientation as well. This is why she wants to be a top lawyer; she believes her mastery of the Queen’s language will be her anchor in the profession. She concedes that Afrikaans is her enigma. She also studies commercial subjects, business accounting and economics, and pure maths. Her darling teacher, Ms Gunpath, is her English master and Ms Pamela Ntswane guides her in business studies.

While she is clear about what she wants to do later in her life, her teachers do not know of her plans. They have not asked her or any of her fellow learners. But her parents do know and have helped. Her father, Charles, is unemployed at the moment, but he did study law. He was impressed with her choice. He helped her research her options in law and Thembisile, her mother, a day care centre teacher, helps financially. “I am fortunate that both my parents support me in my choice of an occupation,” she remarks. She wants to study law at the University of Wits. “I have been told that the faculty of law at Wits is the best in the country.”

Although she researched the law fraternity thoroughly, she still does not have a legal role model and she is not aware that the US president and his wife are lawyers. “What I know is that an attorney analyses the cases and the advocate presents cases in court and represents people. Because I am shy, I will want to be an attorney. I tend to be nervous at times, so being behind the scenes will be fine with me because I am, in fact, analytic.

“I also came across a startling observation. South Africa is bereft of lawyers while other countries across the world have plenty. Again, here in South Africa, crime, and, particularly corruption, is an opportunity for lawyers to thrive.” Her second choice of universities to study law at would be the University of Johannesburg and the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). If the law thing does not come together she will settle for a social work degree (I like helping people, you see?).      

She is concerned about South Africa’s economy which is gravitational at the moment. “Standards have fallen, and none of the authorities is ready to roll up their sleeves and pick up the pieces,” she observes. “Maybe this is why Jacob Zuma is not my role model. His governance is poor.”

Etwatwa is a hell hole, she says. Despondent, she shrugs her shoulders, admitting that her township is a forsaken piece of land in the world. “There is too much teenage pregnancy. I am not sure exactly what is going on with my fellow sisters. I think the lure of a free grant and the lack of ambition are a cause here.” She is sure she will not fall pregnant “anytime soon. Boys are trouble and a disruption. But I also think teenage pregnancy is also caused by poor parenting. If you look at Etwatwa, the socio-economic outlook is poor, and even my urban school mates look down on it. There are no role models and generally life is dour.”  That is why she spends most of her time in her bedroom while not socialising with the only two friends she has in the area. Most of the youth is lost, she says, forgotten by the gods. “And unemployment is terrible.”

She stays with her grandmother. The grandma raised her when her parents where busy with their studies. Although she adores her parents, she does not think to live with them now will be a good idea.  “Besides, the area they live in is boring.”

Mathapelo reveres rapper Eminem because his lyrics speak of social issues and about his earlier troubled life. He is her role model. She likes rap music and hip hop soothes her soul. When she is in the mood she sings in the church choir, taking a break from her books. “But the truth is right now I am religion confused. I have too many questions and there are no answers. And please, the confusion is not caused by the presence of Islam at our school,” she pleads, “not at all.” 

Here is Mathapelo with...








school mates- from your left Khensani, Promise,Tumi, Sizwe, Pearl, Lesedi, Gugu, Boitumelo, Kgauhelo and Natalia.

Phathisizwe and Lerato





Class mates grade 12                                                          







teachers
Ms Gunpath and Pamela Ntswane

and  parents, Thembisile and Charles.