Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr Reginah Mhaule, visited the Hendrina Alliance Church in KwaZamokuhle, Mpumalanga for a high-profile stakeholder engagement and church service on Sunday, 22 March 2026. The visit was mainly to celebrate school principals from the Steve Tshwete Education Circuit (Hendrina Circuit) who achieved an outstanding pass rate of above 90% in the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.

The Deputy Minister delivered congratulatory messages to the circuit whilst administering a sermon during the Sunday service, combining her official oversight duties with community spiritual leadership. The Deputy Minister was joined by district and circuit officials, principals, School Management Teams (SMTs), and members of the church community. “The reason we as the national Department came here to this circuit is to applaud the Alliance Church for the crucial role it has played in our learners achieving such great results. We are here to thank the community and to acknowledge the role of our partners who have consistently supported the education of our children,” said Deputy Minister Mhaule.

Three top-performing schools honoured are Gekombineerde Hoërskool Hendrina, Alex Benjamin High and KwaZamokuhle Secondary School. In addition to celebrating the success of these schools, the Deputy Minister met with leadership from underperforming schools in the Steve Tshwete Circuit to discuss decisive intervention, accountability, and support to ensure no school is left behind. 

Director for Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign at the DBE, Mr Jabu Hlakula, expressed his deep appreciation to the church and the local community for supporting learners to achieve quality results. “This achievement was possible owing to the active participation of communities. We appreciate the crucial role that the church plays in moulding our learners on a spiritual level”.