Jokes aside, comedian Siphiwe “Wele” Vilakazi obtained his third qualification, a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration specialising in Disaster and Risk Management at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) 2024 Autumn Graduation ceremony, which was held at the Indumiso campus, Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday, 14 May 2024.
Vilakazi (35) from Chesterville in Durban is popularly known as Wele. Together with his identical twin brother Simphiwe Vilakazi, they form a dynamic comedy due known as “Amawele aseChesterville.”
There were cheers and laughter as he walked the graduation stage to obtain his postgraduate diploma. He was among the last group of graduands from the Faculty of Management Sciences in the Midlands who graduated in the final session of the DUT Midlands graduation ceremony. The Durban graduations will commence on Monday, 20 May 2024 to Tuesday, 28 May 2024 at the Olive Convention Centre.
Comedia, Siphiwe Vilakazi.
Sharing his excitement after graduating, Vilakazi expressed his appreciation to his twin brother for accompanying him to his graduation and for sharing the momentous occasion with him.
“While I was walking on the graduation stage, I heard some of the guests asking where my twin brother was. He was amongst them; he came to celebrate my success. Unfortunately, I could not walk with him on the stage as I had studied by myself, hence I graduated as an individual. At the moment, my brother is not keen on furthering his studies, I tried to convince him but I failed,” explained Vilakazi.
Graduating for the third time was very exciting for Vilakazi. He indicated that the feeling of accomplishment encourages him to continue studying. He is currently enrolled for his Master’s degree at DUT and wishes to one day make history and become a comedian with a PhD.
“DUT is one of the best Universities of Technology in Africa which offers Doctoral degrees, so you can’t be a student at DUT and only exit with a diploma. As a DUT graduate you should aspire to go back and further your studies. I am using that advantage, that I can still study up to a PhD level at DUT, it is an opportunity that I don’t want to miss,” reiterated Vilakazi.
He indicated that he makes the time to study on weekdays since he is usually busy with his comedy gigs over weekends. Currently, due to the upcoming elections, he said work was good and he gets booked to perform at political events, which usually pays well.
Vilakazi also expressed his gratitude to his fans who he indicated were abuzz on his graduation day on social media, sending him congratulatory messages.
Pictured: Comedian, Siphiwe Vilakazi during his graduation at DUT.
Photographer: Mnqobi Ngobese
Simangele Zuma
