DUT journalism graduate makes family proud

HAVING stayed at home for four years after completing her matric in 2012 with no secure employment or no way to further her studies, Phumelele Nxumalo did not stray from her path of achieving academic excellence.

The dynamic go-getter is the first of her nine siblings to achieve a tertiary qualification.

Nxumalo will obtain her National Diploma in Journalism at the Durban University of Technology’s (DUT) Virtual Graduation ceremony on Wednesday, 10 June.

“I was at my weakest but as soon as an opportunity for me to further my studies presented itself, I never looked back. Every time when the going got tough, I would look back at that time in my life, when nothing was coming together and I would tell myself that, ‘giving up is not an option, you have come a long way to let this slip through your hands’. That kept me focused and moving forward,” said the ecstatic graduand.

Phumelele said being a student was challenging at times.

For her, the toughest part was fearing that she would not complete her second year of study due to her bursary not having paid her allowances.

“I went the whole of 2018 (my second year of study) without allowances and that meant that on some days I would miss lectures and struggle to print assignments for submission. But, despite all of that, I have always been determined to get my journalism qualification,” she said.

Growing up, Nxumalo lost her mother at the age of 10, and says she has always been daddy’s little girl.

“To say that my father was proud of me when he heard that I would be the first of his nine children to obtain a university qualification would be an understatement. He was so looking forward to the occasion, so much so that he wanted to buy a brand new suit to wear on the day,” she chuckled.

“Not having a physical graduation has impacted me negatively. Every student looks forward to their graduation day, as it marks the achievement that comes with all the hard work and sleepless nights as a student. However, I understand the situation and I am actually grateful that my institution is even planning this for us, in the midst of all the craziness brought upon by this pandemic,” said Nxumalo.

Speaking more on her choice of study, she said journalism has always been close to her heart.

“I believe that there are many stories to be told in our messed-up societies and it is our duty as ‘the woke generation’ to try and correct the injustices of the past by telling people’s stories to the best of our abilities.”

Also, for her, the field that she absolutely loves in journalism is television. “I am a technical person and I love the technicalities that go into producing content for television,” she said.

Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting

Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).

Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.

You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts

Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.