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Sister Mbatha graduates Cum Laude despite losing three family members

Sister Mbatha graduates Cum Laude despite losing three family members

A Sister in charge of the Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD) at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital at Umlazi, Sindisiwe Mbatha obtained Cum Laude for her BTech in Nursing Management and Administration at the Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Virtual Graduation ceremony held at midday today.

Mbatha2Mbatha is proud of herself for passing her qualification with flying colours despite juggling studying with a full time job and family time.

This mother of two said being focused and working hard is what helped her to succeed.

“I was registered for my BTech in Nursing Management and Administration at DUT for 2018 and 2019. I am pleased to announce that I have passed my degree with flying colours. During the two years of my studies I also lost three of my family members. I thank God that I managed to pull through. I thank my employer for selecting me to further my studies,” said Sister Mbatha.

She said she recalls how DUT protests that disrupted learning in 2018 and 2019 nearly made her to lose hope in successfully completing her qualification.

Speaking about her journey at DUT, Mbatha said it was not an easy one but she achieved her goals through perseverance.

“Firstly when we attended at the university during our first year, there was a big strike. The employees were striking at the premises. We were very afraid, we were concerned for our safety and our cars which were parked along the premises. Fortunately, the security guards were there guiding us and the lecturers were giving us hope that everything will be okay,” said Mbatha.

She further stated that in 2019 they faced another protest, when students took to the streets fighting for NSFAS.

Despite fearing for her safety during protests, Mbatha said her other concern was her finances.

“I was thinking about my finances, whether I was going to be able to pay for my school fees in due time as stipulated. I was having financial constraints. I was worried if I would be able to manage with all the stress of studying and all the work load that comes with it. The thought of being absent from work every Wednesday, adding more to the already existing shortage in the department,” said Mbatha.

She said this made her unpopular among her colleagues and supervisors for increasing the workload, which was bothering her but there was nothing she could do as she had her eyes on this degree.

She thanked her family especially her two children for their support even though she distanced herself from them to focus on her studies.

Pictured: Sindisiwe Mbatha

Simangele Zuma

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