(Qinisela Mbona
(graduate’s father), Sthokozile (sister), Simphiwe and Nomathamsanqa Mbona
(mother) at the King Bhekuzulu Hall, KwaDlangezwa Campus. Pic courtesy of the
UNIZULU website)
Following a horrific car accident which nearly claimed the lives of his
whole family, University of Zululand (UNIZULU) graduate Simphiwe Mbona (22) did
not imagine that on Wednesday, May 15, 2019,
he would be among the top graduates in the Faculty of Arts.
Ironically, it was on Mother's Day when Mbona, born in Port Shepstone and
raised in Phoenix, Durban, received a phone call where he learned that his
mother and two other family members had been involved in an accident that left
the car beyond repair.
Mbona, in his second year at the time, was preparing for his
examinations. He was faced with the dilemma of either completely succumbing to
grief or shifting his focus to preparing for exams while his family members
were fighting for their lives in hospital.
“When I got the call, it was just panic, panic and more panic! I could
not cope, I won’t lie. It was a horrible experience that I wouldn’t wish on
anybody else. Examinations were approaching (but) I could not go and visit my
family, especially my mother who had suffered a fractured arm injury. Even the
whole class could see that I was suffering because, during that period, I was
no longer myself. My performance (had also) dropped,” Mbona recalled.
Despite the accident being an unfortunate experience for him, it
surprisingly motivated him to “push harder than before” in his studies. He knew
then that he had to graduate in record time. He thereafter pulled his socks up
and excelled academically like he had done before. “I had a hunger to achieve
because (I realised that) God (only) gives us one life (to live),” he said.
When he found out that he was in the top five in the faculty, Mbona kept
mum about the news because he wanted it to be a complete surprise to his
family. Of his accomplishment, Mbona said it was all thanks to the support of
his family, friends, classmates and lecturers from the University’s Department
of Creative Arts
For more information contact +2735 902 6492 or email:HlefaneN@unizulu.ac.za
or visit www.unizulu.ac.za
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