A Mother’s Love Honoured During Graduation

With tears streaming down his face, Mr Thembisani Mntungwa honoured his late mother during graduation, holding up a T-shirt paying tribute to the woman, Mrs Nondumiso Mntungwa, he describes as his “biggest cheerleader.”

He said his mother was also the driving force behind him being able to reach the graduation milestone despite her recent death.

Mntungwa, who graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science in Criminology and Forensic Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), says he feels a deep void following his mother’s death.

Said Mntungwa: “I wish she could share this moment with me. We had imagined it and spoken about how we would celebrate. It was as much her moment as it was mine. She wasn’t just my mum, she was my friend and my biggest supporter.”

In choosing to honour her on stage, he turned grief into gratitude. “I wanted the world to know that this achievement belongs to her too. When I walked up on that stage, I wanted to share the moment with her. I feel she was there in spirit with me. She deserved to be there with me.”

Mntungwa says his mother made immense sacrifices to ensure that he and his three younger siblings were well provided for, “She worked as a domestic and, at times, as a street vendor, to make sure there was always food on the table at home and that we had lunch money for school. This was the deepest and most encouraging way she showed her support.”

Mntungwa credits his mother’s unwavering support for keeping him motivated throughout his studies, “During my studies, she would always check up on me and ask about my marks. Those were among the little things that mattered at difficult moments when I wanted to give up.”

Among those proudly cheering for Mntungwa were his father and maternal grandmother, who attended the ceremony.

Mntungwa is currently studying for an honours degree at UKZN and is appealing for financial assistance to help cover his tuition and accommodation costs.

Words: Sejal Desai
Photograph: Sethu Dlamini