At this year’s Durban University of Technology (DUT) Autumn Graduation Ceremony, two graduates from vastly different walks of life delivered a powerful message to South Africans: “It is never too late to change your circumstances and rewrite your story through education.”
One of the most striking moments of the ceremony was when 55-year-old Sister Lethiwe Francina Mazibuko, a Dominican nun from Ladysmith, walked proudly across the stage in her religious habit to collect her Master of Management Sciences degree in Public Administration. A member of the Dominican Sisters of Montebello and Registrar at St. Joseph Theological Institute, Sister Mazibuko has served the church for 35 years and believes deeply in the power of education. She has long encouraged the young nuns she mentors to empower themselves through learning—three of whom stood by her side at the graduation.
Her academic journey was marked by personal loss and perseverance. During her studies, she battled depression following the death of her nephew, just after he received a long-awaited job offer. She dedicated her research to him and later also mourned the passing of her mother, who had hoped to see her graduate. Her Master’s research focused on multicultural education as a tool for peace in schools, a topic inspired by her travels, including a visit to post-genocide Rwanda that deepened her commitment to social healing through education.
Now also a registered counsellor, Sister Mazibuko says education has the power to uplift, guide and heal. Her story is one of faith and quiet strength—proof that purpose and perseverance can lead to remarkable transformation.
That same belief fuels the story of Khanyisile Dlamini, a 29-year-old former street sweeper from Umbumbulu, whose journey to the graduation stage is no less extraordinary. Dlamini began working at Durban Solid Waste (DSW) at the age of 20, sweeping the streets of Isipingo to support her siblings after losing both parents. Education seemed a distant dream. But in 2019, while still donning her orange uniform and working full shifts, she enrolled at DUT, determined to break the cycle of poverty and change her destiny.
Her first qualification was a Diploma in Business Administration, followed by an Advanced Diploma, and most recently, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration. She often rushed from sweeping duties straight to lectures, still in her work uniform, refusing to let anything delay her ambition. Her commitment turned heads on campus, but more importantly, it changed lives—starting with her own and those of her younger siblings who looked up to her. She is now employed as a clerk at Bidvest and has already registered for her Master’s degree, with hopes of one day earning a PhD.
Dlamini’s story is a testament to resilience, showing that one’s background should never be a barrier to success. She, like Sister Mazibuko, reminds us that perseverance, faith, and education can open doors that once seemed sealed shut. Their inspiring journeys—one from the chapel, the other from the streets—intertwine as powerful symbols of hope and transformation, proving that it is never too late to rise, to learn, and to lead.
